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#she is falling she is churning the brain is running
cupid-styles · 2 months
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scare (cheatrry)
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word count: 1.9k
content warnings: slight mentions of smut, pregnancy scare, cheating plot, mentions of abortion, not suitable for ramadan
based on this blurb!
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. . .
Harry’s not an oblivious man.
More often than not, he considers himself to be an empath, easily picking up on mood changes pertaining to those around him. With his ex-wife, he could tell if she’d had a bad day at work just by the way she walked through the front door. With Y/N, it’s much, much easier, because, for the first time ever, she’s clearly avoiding him. 
When he texted for their weekly hookup, she churned out some bullshit excuse about landscapers being at the house all day. (There weren’t. Call him insane, but he drove by on her lunch break, and her front and back yards were so quiet, you’d be able to hear the sound of leaves falling.) 
And while they normally don’t interact much at school pickup — usually Harry’s being swarmed by hungry MILFs who he politely rejects each and every time — she’s taken to wearing a large pair of sunglasses over her eyes, almost as if she’s physically attempting to hide from him. It’s odd and it makes him concerned, even if he’s the one that’s repeated the same sentiment regarding their situation a million times over (“no feelings, just sex”). 
His brain launches itself into the worst places it could possibly go, so on Thursday afternoon, exactly one week and a day since they last slept together, Harry tries to casually mosey over to her car as she stands there, waiting for her kids to leave school. He watches as she visibly clenches her jaw and he clears his throat, standing next to her but refusing to give her eye contact. There’s a reason they don’t ever speak too much at pickup time, and it’s always to make sure no one suspects anything.
“You’re avoiding me.” he says through gritted teeth. She inhales through her nose and he peers down from the corner of his eye to see her expression. It’s difficult to tell when she’s wearing those ridiculously oversized sunglasses. 
“I’m not avoiding you.” she mutters, leaning her hip against the bumper of her black SUV. 
“Then why haven’t I seen you?”
Her nostrils flare as she runs her tongue over her teeth. 
“It’s barely been two weeks, Harry. Don’t be dramatic.”
He resists the urge to snort and crosses his arms over his chest. “Well fuck me for wanting to make sure you’re alright.”
“Keep your voice down,” she grumbles, flashing a forced smile to a mom who passes by them. She clears her throat and pushes her sunglasses into her hair. Harry’s relieved to finally be able to see her eyes. “I might be… pregnant.”
Despite the drop in his stomach, he’s able to maintain a stoic expression. He’s no longer the foolish teenager he once was — he and Y/N are both fully capable adults and would know how to approach an unwanted pregnancy, need be. What scares him more is the prospect of her wanting to keep the baby.
His mind is whirring at a million miles per hour when she grits out his name, bringing him back down to earth. He coughs. 
“My period is late but I haven’t had a chance to pick up a test yet, so don’t get your panties in a twist.” she replies lowly. They hear the school bell ring, signaling the official end to the day. They have about four minutes before the kids come running out through the front. 
“I’ll pick you up tonight at 9. Tell your husband you’re having a baking emergency or some shit.”
Y/N doesn’t have a chance to fight him before he’s walking away, headed back in the direction of his car to wait for his twins.
. . .
Harry parks down the road from Y/N’s house at 9 pm on the dot.
He feels like some sort of shitty spy with the way he’s turned his car lights off as he waits for Y/N to get in. He texted her as soon as he got there — they used to have a secret code word for their rendezvouses but it’s been months since they started, and Harry thinks they could fuck right in front of her husband and he wouldn’t even notice.
He sighs as he takes a sip from his reusable water bottle. He glances up at the rearview mirror for the tenth time in the past minute, his stomach calming some when he recognizes Y/N’s frame hustling towards his SUV. He presses the ‘unlock’ button as she wordlessly climbs in the passenger’s seat. Harry doesn’t say anything when he shifts the gear back into drive to pull out of her cul-de-sac. 
Finally, he asks: “Did your husband have an issue with you leaving?” 
Y/N tries not to roll her eyes. 
“No, but I also didn’t tell him I was having a ‘baking emergency’, like you so kindly suggested.”
“Oh, so you told him you have to go take a pregnancy test to make sure you’re not knocked up with some other guy’s kid?”
“Stop being a dick,” she mumbles, occupying her shaky hands by playing with the ends of her hair. “Where are we going?”
“Where do you think?” 
When she doesn’t reply, he sighs.
“The twins are at their mom’s for the next few days so after I dropped them off, I got a few tests from the pharmacy a few towns over. We’re going to my place so you can take them.”
Her stomach tightens. While she’s mainly worried about the results of the impending pregnancy tests, she’s also never been to Harry’s before. He’s never actually offered.
Y/N hums in response — it’s apparent she doesn’t have much of a choice, and quite frankly, she’d rather take them there than go back to her own home and do it. A silence blankets them once again as he drives through their quiet suburban neighborhood.
Until Harry clears his throat. 
She cranes her neck to look at him, quirking an eyebrow as a wordless encouragement to say whatever stupid thing he’s thinking. 
“If it’s positive… you’re not… you’re not gonna have the kid, right?”
She sighs noisily. “Do I look like I’m in the position to deal with that? I already feel guilty enough fucking you behind his back.”
“He pays you no attention, Y/N. Your pussy is always completely depraved when we hook up. You shouldn’t feel bad.”
Y/N ignores the way her skin warms at the casual filth that falls from his lips. 
“To answer your initial question, no, I wouldn’t keep them. I would get an abortion.”
He doesn’t respond to that, which leaves her to believe it’s a satisfactory reply. 
It’s only a few more minutes before Harry’s pulling into the three-car garage attached to his house. They move silently and quickly, as if any one of his neighbors could come out and see them together — she supposes it’s a possibility, but their town is usually asleep by 8:30 at the latest. She follows him in through the side door, which apparently takes them into the kitchen. He flicks some lights on as he digs in his pocket, pulling three small boxes out and tossing them on the kitchen island. 
“Take your pick,” he says before nudging his chin in the direction of the hallway. “There’s a bathroom down there.”
Somehow, she’s unsurprised that he got the most expensive options — the ones with the digital screens that spell out “you’re pregnant!” with a smiley face on it. She grabs the first one and follows the direction that Harry led her in. Despite the harshness of the interior design (everything feels pristine thanks to white marbled flooring and light gray walls), she notices that he has a plethora of family photos that line the hallway. None of the pictures include his ex-wife, who left Harry three or so years ago. She remembers it being a huge deal in their small community. They were both gorgeous, a completely picturesque family that seemed completely destined to be together. Rumors flew about the divorce — everything from Harry sleeping with his wife’s assistant to her running away to Aruba — but Y/N never cared to find out what really happened. In fact, she and Harry didn’t really speak until they started sleeping together.
Her mind wanders back to the task at hand when she closes the bathroom door behind her. She’s taken many pregnancy tests in her life — she has two kids, after all. It’s a straightforward process and she gently places the cap back on the stick, placing it on the sink as she waits for it to process. After flushing and washing her hands, she nibbles on her bottom lip, watching as the little bar loads.
. . .
Harry thinks he’s going to vomit as he waits for Y/N to emerge from the bathroom. 
He hasn’t felt this way in years. Despite the twins being his entire life nowadays, when his ex first got pregnant with them, he spent months sick with worry. And although Y/N already assured him that she wouldn’t keep it if she is pregnant, the thought of her carrying his child still makes him woozy.
His head snaps up when he hears the bathroom door creak open. A few moments later, her sneaker-clad feet carry her back into the kitchen. She holds the stick in her hands and Harry’s eyes bulge at it. 
“Negative,” she breathes, putting it down on the table, as if to prove it. “No baby.”
He sighs out in relief. “Thank fuck.”
She nods. “Just make sure you destroy this or whatever,” she mumbles, reaching up to run a hand through her hair. It’s only then that Harry realizes how exhausted she looks. She has deep bags under her eyes and her lips look worn from constantly biting them. “Listen, I’m fine if you want to stop messing around. This was scary.”
Harry raises his eyebrows. “It was a pregnancy scare. It happens to everyone.”
“Yeah, but there’s more consequences for us.”
He shrugs. “We would’ve taken care of it.”
She’s too exhausted to fight him on his nonchalant nature, so she just sighs instead. 
“I take it that you don’t want to stop, then?” she asks, pursing her lips at the male. 
“Not if you don’t want to.”
“Okay,” she nods, “We’ll just need to be more careful, then.”
“Sure.”
She swallows, glancing past him to read the time on the stove. “I guess I’ll get going then.”
“I can drive you home.” he says quickly, grabbing his keys off the table.
She doesn’t reject his offer, especially now that the adrenaline from the evening has officially worn off. For the second time that night, she sits in the passenger’s seat of Harry’s car, allowing him to chauffeur her back to her house. He drives down to the spot he picked her up in, at the very end of her road so no one sees him dropping her off. 
“Thank you,” she murmurs as she unbuckles her seatbelt. “Sorry about all this.”
“It’s fine, shit happens. You don’t have to go through it alone.”
It may be the nicest thing he’s ever said to her and she doesn’t know what to say. Instead, she simply flashes him a small smile before moving to open the car door. 
“Wait—” Harry reaches out to press his hand to her knee. Y/N glances down at his touch and he quickly rips it away. “Are you around sometime next week? For me to come by?”
She doesn’t even consider what her schedule looks like before she turns to look at him. 
“Yeah. Come over whenever you want.”
He sends her a wide grin as she climbs out of his car.
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scarletttries · 3 months
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Roronoa Zoro Falling In Love Headcanons (One Piece)
Pairing: Roronoa Zoro (Live Action One Piece) x Reader
Rating: Fluff
Word Count: 1.6k
Author's Note: After lacking a bit of inspiration recently I just finished watching the live action One PIece on Netflix and am completely obsessed, especially with Zoro! So here a few little headcanons for him, and I might do a part two of relationship headcanons too. Also requests are now open for any of the one piece characters so send them in! 💗☺️
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- Oh Zoro. Truly the epitome of a heart of gold hiding behind a sarcastic, borderline cold, facade. A man who pretends to be affected by nothing, despite having so much space inside him for friendship and devotion.
- Chances are he'd first come across you when he and Luffy are docked in another new town. Maybe you're a pirate whose name he's heard in passing and considers trying to capture for the bounty. Maybe you're someone who just loves and helps out the small seaside village you live in, trying to make a few Berry from the ships passing through. Maybe you're the next key step to reaching Monkey's dream of finding the piece. Whatever he expects to find when your paths cross, it certainly isn't you.
- Before he even knows you're the person he's looking for, one look at you and he knows you're important. Like you exist in a slightly brighter light than everyone else he's ever met before, and he's not sure if he should shield his eyes or if he can't bear to look away. He stops dead in his tracks at the sight of you, the first glimpse enough to have his heart pounding in his chest like it never has before. Luffy watches his usually stern friend let his mouth fall open in silence, baffled by his actions until Nami leans over and whispers to him. Zoro can't hear exactly what she says but he hears the word 'crush' and feels his stomach churn at the thought. He wants to run, but he's unsure whether he wants to go towards or away from you. He grips his white katana as a panicked instinct when finally you glance up and send a friendly smile to the eclectic group of pirates standing, staring at you.
- Luffy can tell before you ever say a word that you're good and kind, and destined to be aboard the Merry as a part of his crew. Zoro can't bring himself to do anything but loom over his captain as he makes a sales pitch. The part of his brain that likes to be in control hopes that you're busy and tied down, that you'll reject Luffy's offer and he'll never feel as shaken and desperate as he does in this moment again. A much bigger part of him knows that he won't survive if you say 'no'. Like without you he might never dream again, doomed to spend the rest of his days sailing aimlessly, searching for the same rush he feels every time you look up at him over his friends straw hat. Thankfully Monkey rarely asks someone to join his crew that he isn't certain will eventually say yes. And so you do, accepting it's time to try a new path and join this strange group of good-hearted sailors, hoping for a new shot at your dreams.
- Monkey, Sanji and Usopp are all friendly from the get-go. They can't wait to share stories of their journey so far, and make sure you feel as safe and at home on the ship as they do. Nami takes a bit longer to open up to you, but when she does you can understand why, and while her friendship is harder to earn, it feels all the more solid for it. And then there's Zoro.
- You notice that whenever you all walk into a room, he'll always take the position or chair next to you, awkwardly stepping in front of Sanji on more than one occasion, or forcing himself into a tight spot rather than create distance between the two of you. He doesn't often strike up conversation first, but when you ask him something about himself he always looks very relieved and happy to have something to talk to you about. If the group has to split up he'll always stick by your side, taking the role of keeping you safe to heart. Your unspoken bodyguard. It gets to the point that the crew adjust to leaving a spot next to you for him to settle into, and never asking him to go out without you. All the while Nami takes great joy in speculating on his behaviour with you, and teasing Zoro for his complete inability to act like a normal human being. Sanji has to lay off his harmless flirting with you after he notices the daggers Zoro's shooting at him, and he's sure one night at a bar he heard him start to draw his sword when he put a hand on your leg.
- It doesn't take many conversations with Zoro, or many chats with Luffy who spends a lot of his time telling you about how wonderful and impressive Zoro is, for you to start finding his strange behavior more than a little flattering. The tall, talented swordsman can't help but soften under your gaze, and you feel yourself slowly leaning closer to him every time he settles at your side, before long finding yourself practically draped against him when the group find themselves at some gaudy bar on the outskirts of a marine base, failing to keep a low profile. Usopp insists on dragging you onto the dancefloor, and thankfully Nami asks Zoro to come dance with her before he has to either sit without you, or volunteer to dance of his own volition. Despite his athleticism, of course he's a terrible dancer, all uncoordinated movements and awkward energy as he fails to copy Usopp's charismatic moves. Taking pity on him, you take his hand in yours, letting him hold you closer as the rest of the group seem to fade in the crowd behind you having seen more than enough of his desperate longing to stick around for this. As Sanji and Usopp slink off to find another drink, Nami and Luffy can't resist keeping just in view so they can watch on as they finally see Zoro smile widely and let his guard down, relaxing against you as the pair of you sway. Nami wants to make a bet on if Zoro finally gets the nerve to say something about his feelings, but after a few months of being her closest friend she decides to just root for you both instead, trying to pull Luffy just far enough away to give you two some much needed privacy.
- As you feel his arms encircle you, a soft sway in his hips that matches yours, his mouth drops open and closed a few times over. It's always hard for him to find the right thing to say to you, but when he has you this close, with your eyes sparkling up at him, it's almost impossible to even think. It's all consuming living on the same ship, his heart jumping in his chest every time someone enters his cabin in case it's you, his feet taking him to stand outside your quarters almost every day just willing himself to knock on the door and finally put words to his devoted actions. He couldn't fight his longing to be near you for even a day, and watching you open up to him and start to inch closer yourself, he can't help but hope that you might be feeling just a drop of the ocean of affection he navigates for you. His eyes focus intensely on yours as he tries again to speak, stumbling over the word 'I' a few times before resigning himself to silence for another night.
- You could see the conflict of fear and hope in his eyes, the man of few words clearly straining to explain things his training had never left room for. He was trying, and you were sure you knew what he was going to say, but you didn't think you could be the one to articulate it for him. That didn't mean you couldn't give him a bit of encouragement.
- Trailing your hands over his arms to settle on his shoulders, you stepped flush with his body, the extra contact enough to stop his gentle sway and turn his whole frame rigid. With the softest smile you could muster you leaned up onto your tiptoes, giving him a moment to pull away before letting your lips press softly to his. It was just for a second. A mere moment of soft, sweet, contact. The kind Zoro had never even let himself imagine because it felt so far out of reach for him. But it happened, and it was perfect. A wide grin spread over his face at your action, finally feeling like he might be able to share his life with someone other than the ghost he carried with him on his hip.
"WAHHOOOOOO!YES YES YES!"" A deafening cheer echoed through the bar, shaking the light fixtures and turning every single head towards your ecstatic captain. Nami looked mortified as Luffy continued to punch the air in celebration of his first mate finally achieving a dream a little less violent than he'd first set out for, his joy for his friend all consuming and without an ounce of tact.
"Luffy! Stop it! We'll leave you to it." Nami had to physically drag him away as you heard the unfamiliar sound of Zoro laughing to himself, the grin across his cheeks only spreading as his focus returned to you. Leaning back in to find your lips again, he whispered,
"What Luffy said."
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HE ATE MY HEART (I LOVE THAT GIRL)
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gif by @corvidcrossbow
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IM SO FUCKING EXCITED TO FINALLY HAVE SOMETHING TO POST ON HERE AND ALSO TO POST SOMETHING TO THIS SONG
Vamp!Daryl has rotted not only my brain but the community. I am not sorry at all for the plague I'm spreading and I hope that it only gets worse.
So I've been doing some research on it, and I really like the idea of mixing the Blade universe w TWD, I did some more research on the different types of vampires (its kind of a lot so if you want you can go read abt them here!) To basically summarize, there's people, daywalkers (half vamp-people), walkers, full vampires, and then Revenants (half-walker half vampire, basically just another way to die)
This also makes it easier for whenever Scud becomes my next vampy victim
AUUUGH I NEED MY HOT SEXY NEEDY VAMPIRE MAN WHO JUST WANTS TO DRINK ALL MY BLOOD SOMEONE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE FUCKING PLEASE
also I am working on reqs yes I am, I have one scud fic that is dirty and nasty and should be getting posted soon. also I may not be on tumblr as much as I used to be because GUYS I am now employed yes that's right I got off my computer, went outside, interacted with people, and got a job #gangshit
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It had been over a week since Daryl had eaten, and over two since he had left to go out on the community's monthly supply run.
As he stumbled through the opening gates, he felt like he had been through a war. His body was wracked with exhaustion, weakness, and hunger. The air was thick with the strong scent of blood, and he couldn't keep himself from groaning painfully when he was bombarded by Carol and Rick asking where he had been, what had taken so long, and if he was alright.
“No! M’not alright dammit” He barked at them in frustration after being asked for the third time if he was alright, his voice laced with irritation and discomfort. Carol couldn't help but notice his pale and clammy appearance.
Her forehead creased into a frown as she tightly pursed her lips, giving Daryl a scolding look that made him uneasy. With a tone of concern, she asked, "I'm worried. When was the last you fed?"
The man's face twisted in discomfort as Rick and Carol stood in his space. He scoffed and muttered, "Not recently, m'fuckin' starvin'" The longer he stayed, the more his head spun and his vision blurred, causing the corners of his eyes to fade into a deep red color. His stomach churned uncomfortably, and he could feel his teeth starting to ache.
Rick observed Daryl's malnourished skin, staring at how he was almost transparent. His eyes were screwed shut as the sun harshly burned his sensitive orbs, and he was gripping the strap of his crossbow so hard that his fingers were starting to turn red.
"You should go see Y/n," Rick said, eyes fixed on his friend. "She should be back home and she's been asking about you. I think she misses you." Daryl's body tensed at the sound of your name, and a sudden chill ran down his spine, causing goosebumps to rise on his arms. He tried to hide his reaction, but Rick's sharp eyes didn't miss a thing.
Daryl's head drooped weakly as he could only manage a feeble nod. Rick and Carol had stepped off to the side for him, offering their silent support. Carol placed her hand gently on his shoulder, her grey hair falling across her face as she did so. Rick, with his stern expression, gave Daryl a look that he knew meant there was no room for argument.
His senses were already heightened to an extreme level, almost at an overload as the sun was abnormally bright, blazing down on him with a blinding intensity, making it difficult for him to even keep his eyes open. He could feel the heat searing his skin, causing beads of sweat to form on his forehead and trickle down his face. He noticed the way that his vest rubbed uncomfortably against him, the fabric clinging to his skin and making him feel sticky and irritable. His already aching teeth began to grind down against each other, and he could feel his razor-sharp fangs digging into the tender skin of his bottom lip, further fueling his pure discomfort.
Each step he took in the direction of your house was tiring and heavy, his dirty, muddy boots slapping against the ground as he dragged himself through the streets, promptly ignoring any strangle or judgy looks that were thrown his way. He didn't have the time, let alone the strength to even bother paying them any mind. His stomach churned as his overwhelmed nose couldn't help but pick up the sickeningly sweet smell of blood.
It forced him to quicken his pace, trying to get just as far away from the public eye as he possible could. He didn't want to be looked at, didn't want to be stared at. He just wanted to get inside as soon as fucking possible and just tear off all his goddamn clothes. A ping of hope struck through him when he could see your familiar house only a short distance down the road, having to hold himself back from flat-out sprinting the rest of the way there.
Though it was only about a thirty-second walk, it had been the longest in his whole entire life, and walking up the small steps of your porch was like something out of a nightmare. He could disgustingly feel the material change in flooring when he stepped off the pavement and onto the creaky wood, the sound grating against his now way too-sensitive ears. Dear god, would someone fucking help him already?
Of course, as if on cue, the red front door to your house swung open, but instead of being met with a friendly face, he was met with the barrel of your gun.
"Daryl?" You questioned as you lowered the weapon slightly, a smile stretching across your lips once you had confirmed who was standing and dicking around on your porch. "Daryl!" You fully dropped your defensive position, stuffing the weapon in the band of your pants as you prepared to throw yourself at the man, halting when you finally took in his ruined appearance.
His breathing was labored, and it was hard to keep himself upright on his own two legs, forcing him to lean against the wall by the door. "Hey doll"
You scoffed at him in disbelief, "Don't you dare even "hey doll" me, mister! What the hell happened to you? Get in here right now" Grabbing the front of his vest and pulling his heavy body inside, Daryl groaning as each movement caused pain to his body, slumping against the door when you slammed it shut.
He couldn't be happier when he felt you prying the buttons of his stupidly itchy vest off, him shrugging it off as well as his crossbow, clattering down on the floor and probably chipping the metal further.
"Jesus Daryl, you look fucking terrible. Did you feed on anything at all out there?" You purse your lips as you analyze and checked his unnaturally pale chest, letting out a surprised hiss at the burn lingering on your fingers tips from where you had brushed them against the skin of his shoulder
Daryl groaned as you directed him to sit on the couch, the short steps from the front door already leaving him utterly winded, almost dripping in sweat as he wheezed each breath of air.
“‘Wasn’t much… ‘wasn’t much out there” He spoke breathlessly, head spinning and his stomach loudly churning when you stood in front of him.
When you extended a hand out to cup his face, he tightly gripped your wrist with a shaky hand. “Don’. Please don’” He didn’t want to feed from you, not like this, not in a state where he couldn’t guarantee that he wouldn’t absolutely drain you.
“Daryl” You whispered softly, frowning slightly as you started taking your shirt off, and he wanted to scream at your stubbornness.
You straddled his lap and gently brushed the hair sticking to his forehead off, his blue eyes starting to tint red as the smell of your blood was strong, right in his face. “I don’ wanna”
“I know you don’t sweetheart, but you’ll die. What am I gonna do if you die?” You cupped his face, forcing his gaze onto yours. He whimpered slightly at your touch, his whole body sensitive and reactive.
Daryl shivered when you combed fingers through his hair, hands curling around your hips when you directed his head to your neck. “I trust you, more than I even trust myself” You whispered soothingly into his ear, and he almost wanted to cry.
He could smell the blood coursing through you like it was a burning candle, and his mouth was uncontrollably watering. His fangs were sharp and heavy, aching with the need to sink into your skin, which is exactly what he did, groaning against you at the first drops of blood, not wasting against another second before he was greedily taking mouthfuls.
It was so good, so warm and fresh, sweet and bitter. Daryl had drank lots of blood before, and yours was easily his favorite. He craved it during his time out there, not just because there was a serious lack in wild animals, but because it was addictive.
He squeezed your hips, soft and pillowy in his buzzing palms as he could feel himself starting to get hard in his pants, the more blood he swallowed the more drunk he got.
It made you feel good to watch his natural tan color fade back, his scarred back no longer a ghastly pale. You ran your fingers through his hair, occasionally curling your fingers and gripping the dark locks to grind down against his now-straining cock.
Daryl made soft, small sounds as he fed, each roll of your hips making each gulp of your blood taste so much better. His senses were at an all-time high, overwhelmed and at an absolute edge. He couldn’t help the way his hands pressed you down on his cock, hips desperately jerking against you as he could feel himself getting closer and closer, his head spinning in a blood lust haze.
He was so close, so very fucking close. His sharp claws had made themselves known, and you jolted when they painfully curled into your flesh, hips sputtering and slightly faltering in their movements. Daryl had no problem picking up the slack, almost fucking you right through his pants from how hard he was rutting up into you.
It was just all so much, his whole body on fire with pure arousal as he sighed around a final mouthful of crimson, trembling from his core as his orgasm washed over him, pressing your clothed cunt against him as hard as he could, making his already fuzzy mind draw a complete blank, a loud groan tearing from his throat that caused his fangs to slip out from where he had punctured the skin and drop his head against your shoulder, whimpering softly as he held you down.
You scratched his scalp comfortingly, feeling a little woozy from the amount of blood he had taken. He hummed against you as he started to come down from not only the high of his orgasm but bubbly buzz from his feast.
“Feel better?” You asked in a quiet, sleepy voice when Daryl’s tongue cleaned the drops of blood that had leaked from the small wounds, coating the area in his saliva so that it could heal.
He nodded as peppered you in appreciative and apologetic kisses, pulling you flush against his bare chest by wrapping his arms around your back, claws retracted and replaced with blunt nails. “M’sorry fer hurtin’, ya”
“Instead, you should be sorry for not feeding yourself, mister” You said as you shook your head, pinching his side as you got a bit upset again. “You know it scares me shitless when you do that”
“I know, I know. M’sorry for tha’ too” Daryl grumbled, feeling fatigued as well now that his tummy was full and satiated. His body was still weak and needed rest, now yours did as well considering he had taken a lot more than usual. “I’ll make it up to ya’” He said as he pushed himself up off the couch, grunting as it was a lot harder with tired muscles and one hand keeping his woman wrapped around him, adding a second once he was finally standing.
You giggled at that, arms hooked around his neck. “And just how will you do that?”
“Got a real good idea” Daryl smirked, hoisting you up as he ascended up the stairs to your shared bedroom, hungry for something else that was much better than blood.
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I started writing this a few days ago I think this is the quickest I've written something
Vamp!Daryl is an absolute need. I'm loving every single post I see of him and I love watching the disease spread faster than fucking covid I jump for joy when I see someone I don't even know talking abt him is this what fame feels like is this what its like to be famous am I fucking famous
yes you do want more of this so go read more
Bloodthirsty @dixons-sunshine
Bite me @mydearestdaryl
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steddieas-shegoes · 4 months
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someday soon
for @steddielovemonth prompt 'love is having hope for the future'
rated t | 1,237 words | cw: ptsd, injury recovery, negative view of self (Steve) | tags: angst with a happy ending, getting together, hurt/comfort, falling in love
💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖
Steve ignored his bat bites for too long.
That's what all the doctors and nurses said when he'd been rushed into the ER by Robin, panicked when he passed out and woke up with very little memory of what they'd done that day.
She assumed it was the concussions catching up to him, but it turned out to be a hell of an infection. The infection had spread from the worst bite on his side to his hip and down his leg. They caught it in time to save the leg, but it would be weak for months, if not years, and he'd need to do physical therapy to keep the muscle dense enough to walk.
Everyone was pissed at him, but mostly just happy he was finally getting taken care of. That was a difficult thing for him.
Eddie joked that it was his turn to keep him company in the hospital now, but Steve wasn't up for jokes. Not when he'd become such a burden. Not when he was pulling attention from things and people that actually needed it. He was using up resources that were already barely available for people much worse off than him.
When he was finally fever-free, showing signs of improvement, and promising to keep taking the antibiotics for two more weeks, he was set free. Eddie and Robin brought him to Eddie's trailer to ensure he would actually take care of himself, and he didn't have the heart to argue with either of them.
He felt ridiculous, every single time he got stuck on the couch because his leg was too numb to stand, every time Wayne would grab whatever thing he couldn't quite reach from the top shelf of the cabinet because he couldn't stand on both of his tip toes, whenever Eddie would half-carry him to the shower and wait by the door in case he fell on his bad days. It was all so stupid. He was stupid.
He spent his days doing what he was supposed to, but only the bare minimum. He did the exercises, but only alone in Eddie's room while he was busy at work or picking up Steve's slack. He took the meds when he was in pain instead of "suffering in silence" like Robin told him to. He packed Wayne's lunches for work as a thank you for letting him stay even though Wayne always insisted he didn't need to do anything to deserve a roof over his head and people to care.
He ignored the stupid churning in his stomach that started when he thought about what would happen when Eddie brought him back to his empty house. He ignored the butterflies every time Eddie got home while he was faking sleep on the couch and covered him with the blanket that was by his feet. He ignored the way his heart fluttered every time Eddie would make him the tea he secretly liked instead of the coffee he normally forced himself to drink.
He pretended that the love that grew in his chest was made up, that Eddie was only doing what any friend would do.
Steve only let his imagination run away with him on the nights when Eddie was at Hellfire late, when he was curled up in Eddie's bed at Eddie's insistence that he sleep there. He let himself picture a future like this: waiting up for Eddie to get home from work or a show, curled up with a pillow that smelled like him against his chest, wearing a t-shirt that had holes from being worn too much, and the mixtape Eddie made for Steve playing low in the background.
It was a perfect future.
He fell asleep to the thought of Eddie's arms around him, holding him because he wanted to, not because he had to.
He woke up to Eddie's arms around him, the dark and silent room around him making him panic until Eddie's grip tightened and he pulled him closer.
"You awake?" Eddie whispered against the top of his head.
"Yeah." Steve didn't pull away, couldn't make himself even though the alarms were going off in his brain telling him to put space between them before Eddie realized what this meant to him. "When'd you get back?"
"Hour ago maybe. Didn't mean to run so late, sorry," Eddie's fingers were tracing patterns up and down his spine.
"It's okay. You can do whatever you want," Steve let himself have this moment. He nudged his face further into Eddie's shirt, smiling at the warmth of his chest. "You sleep at all yet?"
"No, I was busy."
Steve's brows furrowed in confusion. "Doing what?"
"Watching you."
Steve turned his head so he was looking up at him. "Watching me sleep? Why the hell were you doing that?"
He should probably sound more upset, maybe more concerned about being watched while he was unconscious. But a pretty big part of him was fine with it, wanted it, hoped it meant more to Eddie too.
"The corner of your mouth twitches a lot in your sleep, did you know that? And when you're in pain or having a nightmare, it stops. Sometimes I just watch to make sure you're sleeping okay," he answered simply. "Been at least a few nights since you've had any nightmares right?"
Steve nodded, speechless at the fact that Eddie had noticed something like that.
"You curl the blanket in your hand when you sleep, too. Or my shirt. Sometimes your own shirt if you can't find anything else," Eddie continued.
Steve felt his fingers loosen in Eddie's shirt, not having noticed the way they'd been holding on for dear life this entire time.
Eddie's hand covered his, squeezing something that felt like reassurance and love right into his skin.
"You're not the same Steve you used to be, but you still worry about what people think. You can just be you. Just be Steve. I promise the Steve you are is the Steve we love," Eddie smiled down at him.
"I-" Steve took a breath. "I just don't wanna ruin it all."
"Stevie, sweetheart." Eddie shook his head. "You couldn't ruin it. When are you gonna get it through that thick head of yours that we're all stickin' this out with you?"
"But you don't have to."
"No, we don't." Eddie squeezed his hand again. "But we do. And we will."
"Even if I'm always like this?"
"Like what?"
"Recovering. Having nightmares. Scared. Robin says I might be depressed? I'm probably gonna limp forever."
"Stevie, look at me," Eddie said, tilting his face back towards him. Steve hadn't even realized he'd turned away so much. "I love you. Okay?"
"You do?"
"Do you think I notice what other people's lips do when they're sleeping?"
Steve snorted. "No, I guess not."
"I love you and sometimes that might mean I have to deal with your shit, but I want to, okay? It won't always be this much shit. I can hold your hand through it," Eddie smiled. "Now, you should go back to sleep."
"You didn't kiss me yet," Steve said around a yawn.
"We've got plenty of time for it, sweetheart. Go to sleep."
Steve believed him.
He knew it would still be shit. He knew he wouldn't always believe what Eddie said. He knew he'd still feel like a burden.
But they had time to wade through it together.
248 notes · View notes
jungkookschin · 3 months
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demigod trials: fates intertwined
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synopsis: you met jungkook at camp half-blood when you were 10 years old. since then, your fates have been infinitely intertwined.
word count: 20k
pairing: son of ares!jungkook x daughter of hephaestus!reader
genre: camp half blood au, percy jackson au, demigod au, childhood friends to lovers, exes to lovers , enemies to lovers, jungkook is sooo in love, jungkook is emotionally constipated, THEY FALL INTO TARTARUS TOGETHERR, jk and y/n are supposed to be reminiscent of percabeth, y/n can wield fire 😳 , ANGSTYY, taehyung as a son of poseidon, namjoon son of athena, mingyu son of jupiter, mina daughter of venus,
warnings: death, angst, blood, kinda gruesome, SMUT (not explicit at all- it's told more in a poetic way), v card loss, many percy jackson references, character death (she comes back to life)
author's note
chapter 1 | chapter 2 | chapter 3 | chapter 3.5 | chapter four
“Missed me, inferno princess?” 
Jungkook stands in the entranceway of your hotel room, soft strands of fringe falling into his piercing brown eyes like the delicate curtains of a war chariot. He stares at you smugly, the most classic Jungkook smile etched across his lips. 
Jungkook is a demigod, meaning that one of his parents is a Greek god while the other is a mortal. In Jungkook’s case, his celestial father is Ares, the god of war- also associated with brutality and chaos. 
Those vaguely familiar with Jungkook would argue that he is the poster child for everything his father represents:
A ruthless warrior on the battlefield, his every step echoes the thunderous march of Ares, causing monsters and enemies alike to flee like waves of the Red Sea. Thick and muscular biceps you can’t even wrap both hands around, a sleeve of tattoos running around the circumference of his arm, and natural affinity to any weapon- effortless wielding a spatha, spear, javelin, or knife with precision and ease.
Jungkook also rides a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and has had the occasional fling with a daughter of Aphrodite- all echoing behaviors of his father. 
You beg to differ. 
To you, Jungkook is love. Jungkook is your spring solace after a grueling winter, Jungkook churns the gears in your brain and heart that stop functioning. Jungkook is your serenity after war- countless wars by which you both narrowly escaped the clutches of death. 
His presence fills your heart with the warmest, most nostalgic sensation. Endorphins fill the hotel hallway, and suddenly you’re 14, savoring the fragrance of  strawberry fields with Jungkook’s large hands on your waist as you soar on a pegasus over the harbor of Long Island.
You met Jungkook at Camp Half-Blood when you were ten years old. After your fifth grade volleyball coach turned into a giant cyclops and tried to eat you, you found yourself at Camp Half-Blood, a summer camp for children of Greek gods and goddesses. 
Nestled within Camp Half-Blood's grounds are the children of around 20 Greek gods, including the 12 Olympians and various minor deities. The enchanting aroma of strawberry fields wafts through the entire camp. As you explore, you'll find an amphitheater, Pegasus stables, a sword-fighting arena, and even magical cups and plates that intuitively read your mind, materializing the food of your desires. Don't forget the ever-so thrilling challenge of scaling the lava wall, which almost killed you, like, ten times.
It took you a while to adjust to the bustling life in Camp Half-Blood. 
Despite being a volleyball player, your athleticism waned in comparison to the other demigods. You sucked at archery, struggled with sparring, and could barely stand under the weight of armor. 
However, you quickly discovered that you excelled in the forge. 
Before Hephaestus even claimed you as his, you spent hours cooped up in the forge, constructing jewelry, engineering random gadgets and gizmos, and printing 3-D sculptures of your favorite anime characters. 
One day, when you were scaling up the climbing/lava wall, your left foot slipped from one of the ledges and a wave of lava washed over you. Gasps ripple through the crowd of demigods,  and you swore you heard the Hades kids sigh because they had the unfortunate obligation of preparing burials for campers.
Once the wave washed over, absolutely nothing happened. You were still hanging onto the climbing wall with both hands, and your feet found solace back on the stone ledges.
You heard more gasps, and everybody began pointing at something above your head. When you looked up you saw a red fiery hammer, the symbol of Hephaestus, the god of metalworking, volcanoes, and fire. 
Jungkook was only ten years old, but his voice resonated louder than anybody else’s. 
“By the blade of Ares,” Jungkook muttered, an awestruck look morphing into an amused grin gracing his lips, “our little warrior is Hephaestus’s kid!” 
Before inferno princess, he coined the nickname little warrior when you failed to even lift a Celestial Bronze sword. At ten years old, Jungkook always teased you and found the best ways to get under your skin.
You have a stupid theory that you’re genetically inclined to dislike Jungkook. After all, his father was one half of a millenia long affair with Hephaestus’s wife and your stepmom (?) Aphrodite. 
Jungkook, on the other hand, might actually be genetically predisposed to picking on you for how easily his dad bitched yours.
Anyways, what made you even more special was that you wielded the ability to control fire. 
The last child of Hephaestus who had the ability to do so died in the 1700s, meaning that you were a prodigy, an anomaly.  You immediately met with the camp director Chiron to discuss your special abilities, placing you in elite training classes with none other than the Ares cabin and your favorite person Jungkook. 
The head counselor in the Hephaestus cabin, Atticus Gonzales (he is dead now),  personally trained you in the forge, instructing you to engineer and construct contraptions that were lightyears above the proficiency of a ten-year-old. 
One morning, as you get out of bed, you spot a toolbelt resting on your bedside.
From H 
A gift from your father. 
Ten year old you marveled at the toolbelt before wrapping it around your waist. You quickly discovered its celestial magic, capable of summoning any tool you desired or envisioned. However, it had its constraints. It couldn't magically produce enchanted weapons; its abilities were limited to mortal tools like screwdrivers and mallets.
Your first task was to forge a Celestial Bronze knife for none other than the boy who miffed you like no other, Jungkook. 
Celestial bronze is a special metal forged on Mount Olympus, the home of the gods. According to Greek mythology, it is the one of the only metals that is capable of vanquishing monsters, meaning that demigods would have to wield Celestial Bronze weapons.
As a ten year old, forging a Celestial Bronze knife was not an easy feat, and it was even more painful with a ten year old Jungkook over your shoulder the entire time. You wanted to strangle him the entire time.
You first had to invoke the blessing of Hephaestus, offering a sacrifice to your father to guide you through the forging process. Getting Jungkook to just sit still was a quest on its own; he wouldn’t stop bouncing around the forge and you were horrified that he would knock something over or set the place on fire. 
Next, you had to heat and melt the celestial bronze, a task you were instructed to complete with your own fire. 
Though it was established that you wielded flame manipulation, it was difficult to spark your own flame without the assistance of gas or a lighter. You must have sat in the forge for an entire day, grunting and groaning as you willed yourself to spark a flame from your fingers. 
Jungkook was absolutely no help at all.  He was the least encouraging person and kept asking to place the Celestial Bronze in a preheated fire. 
Eventually, you willed yourself to ignite a spark, and the fire spread over the entire sheet of metal. You and Jungkook were so thrilled that you actually hugged before staring at each other uncomfortably and backing away. 
Next, you shaped and formed the blade in accordance with Jungkook's wishes, which wasn’t so easy because he kept changing his mind about the shape of the blade. Afterwards, you quenched the blade in water before enchanting the knife with a protective spell. 
15 years later, three wars, countless battles, a plethora of dead monsters, and yours and Jungkook’s lives are still forever intertwined. 
-
You and Jungkook are 25, and you have been to hell and back together, literally. 
The answer is yes. You did miss Jungkook and your face dissolves with utter relief as you run into his arms and melt into the safety of his embrace. 
You hadn’t seen Jungkook in an entire year. Last year, your father Hephaestus asked if you wanted to spend a year with him in the forge of Mount Olympus, working on a top secret engineering project. 
You had just returned, requesting that your father open a direct portal to Camp Jupiter, the camp for Roman demigods. 
Camp Jupiter stands as a training ground for Roman demigods on the West Coast, offering a structured and disciplined environment akin to the Roman legions. Adjacent to this formidable camp, New Rome emerges as a concealed city, a testament to ancient Roman architecture combined with modern amenities. 
Camp Jupiter differs from Camp Half-Blood because New Rome is a fully operational city where former members of the Roman legion, upon completing their service, could choose to reside. Graduated members of the Roman legion had the options of going to university, building a family, and seeking employment within the city, which also provided a barrier against Roman monsters. 
Currently, you and Jungkook are in Camp Jupiter for a special gathering with fellow demigods in your generation and the Praetors of the Roman Legion. The Praetors Mina and Mingyu are essentially the commanders of the Roman army, overseeing operations and making crucial decisions for the camp's well-being.
Yours and Jungkook’s generation of demigods is deemed particularly special because yours is the first generation of demigods to live beyond your teens.  Typically, demigods were monster bait and were either eaten or murdered before they reached their 20’s. 
Yours and Jungkook’s generation changed the tide, with almost 100 demigods reaching their mid 20’s, dubbing this the beginning of the Golden Era of the Demigods.
For you and your friends to be called to a meeting with the Praetors- it concerned you slightly. But after all you had been through, nothing seemed to scare you. Instead, all you’re thinking about is how much you missed Jeon Jungkook.
You haven’t seen Jungkook in a year, and you take a moment to relish the man who’s been to Tartarus and back with you. 
Jungkook’s in ripped jeans, combat boots, and a seemingly brand new orange Camp Half-Blood T-shirt. He looks the same, except a little leaner, and maybe a little taller. 
“Missed you a lot, Jungkook the Relentless,” you muse in return. 
Jungkook’s features crumble in disgust, before he, in his dramatic nature, theatrically flicks his head back, soft and wispy strands falling back onto his head to reveal his handsome forehead. 
“Inferno princess is cute,” he claims, a grin peeking from the frown he just could never maintain around you, “Whatever you said,” he pauses, “It lacks creativity, it’s not clever, it’s not smart. I give it an F.”
You scoff amusedly, nudging his chest with your left shoulder before marching past him. 
“Whatever, stupid.”
“Wait up, inferno princess,” he calls from behind, speedily catching up in a single stride, “Why didn’t you answer any of my Iris messages? Didn’t miss me at all over the past year?”
You shrug, pressing the down button on the elevator as you and Jungkook step in. “My dad probably blocked you from calling. You know how he feels about you.” 
Muzak fills the elevator, and Jungkook scoffs, rolling his eyes. “Just say you didn’t want to see me, inferno princess. Hephaestus loves me, personally thanked me for keeping you safe all these years.” 
The noise that leaves your mouth falls in between a scoff and a gag. “You? Kept me safe? You would’ve been dead in seventh grade if it weren’t for me,” you tease.
“Gotta give it to you there, inferno princess. This knife has killed more monsters than you’ve ever seen in your life,” he teases, unsheathing the Celestial Bronze knife you forged for him when you were ten years old. He always keeps it on him, and it makes you happy because it means he still cares
You lean against the elevator railing and raise a brow at him. “Is that so?”
He smiles smugly at you, the same stupid Jungkook smile that never changed after all these years. “It definitely is so.” 
He smiles at you, toying with his lip as his eyes shamelessly glaze over you. His features fall into a pout. He opens his arms again, and you waddle over for another hug. “Gods inferno princess, I missed you,” he whispers,” You ignored me for a year-”
The elevator door swings open, and you’re greeted by a greatly amused Namjoon and Taehyung. 
Taehyung whistles. “Hope we’re not interrupting.”
You gently shove Jungkook away with your forearm and greet Taehyung and Namjoon with a huge hug, each arm encircling one of their necks.
Just as it’s been a year since you’ve seen Jungkook, it’s also been a year since you’ve seen Taehyung and Namjoon. You met Taehyung, son of Poseidon, when you were 12 years old and he stumbled into Camp Half-Blood after single handedly bringing down the Minotaur. 
Namjoon, son of Athena, came to Camp Half-Blood a couple years after Jungkook. After devising the strategy to defeat Kronos in the Battle of Manhattan, he was given the honor of redesigning Mount Olympus in accordance to his architectural preferences. 
Being in Olympus for a year, you really were able to relish in Namjoon’s creations. The Greek-style temples maintained their traditional charm with innovative twists. You had the opportunity to walk through the most beautiful of gardens, special flowers bred by Namjoon specifically for Mount Olympus. 
You’ve known them for so long that they’re practically your brothers. Both are wearing Camp Half-Blood shirts- Namjoon’s is a little tight and tattered so you reckon it’s the same shirt he adorned in high school. 
Everyone’s back together. A warm wave of nostalgia washes over you, and you feel at home.
“So little Ms. Olympus is finally back to the mortal world?” Taehyung teases, meandering around playfully as he lazily swings an arm around your shoulder. 
“Oh? What about Mr. Olympus over here? I ran into him all the time up there,” you gesticulate towards Namjoon who scoffs playfully and pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose. You worked with Namjoon occasionally on Mount Olympus to construct his architectural plans for the godly city, so it hadn’t been that long since you’ve run into him.
“Didn’t get the chance to live there like you did. Gods, was I envious of you when I heard you were moving! The gods all know I would be the better option.”
You shoot Namjoon a theatrically annoyed glance, rolling your eyes the same way Jungkook does. 
“I’m kidding,” Namjoon asserts, “I’m infinitely proud of you and all your accomplishments.”
You smile, pressing the friendliest of kisses on Namjoon’s cheeks. “Thanks Joon, love you the most.”
“Yea, well,” Taehyung begins, “You’re bearing witness to the only demigod to ever take up residence in Tartarus and Mount Olympus, so you better put some respect on her name.”
You grin, rolling your eyes as you press another kiss to his cheek. “Thanks for the warm welcome, Tae.” 
You momentarily pause, shifting your gaze from Namjoon and Taehyung to Jungkook. “What? You guys aren’t gonna say hi to him?”
Taehyung makes a psh sound with his lips, “I see this guy everyday.” He skips over to Jungkook, throwing an arm around his shoulders. “You want a kiss too?” Taehyung teases, about  to press a kiss to his cheeks to which Jungkook pushes Taehyung away with his infinite strength.“Gross, dude.”
Taehyung smiles, his combat boots skipping against the gravel of New Rome. “Gods, I feel like we’re 17 again- discovering all this Camp Jupiter shit, meeting the Romans- doesn’t it all bring you nostalgia?” Taehyung continues, carelessly skipping through the gravel with you. 
“Remember when we were 14?” you add, “And you, me, and Joon had to go through that Labyrinth?” you recall, chills running down your spine at the very memory. 
“Gods, that was the worst,” Namjoon adds, “And you broke your ankle so I had to carry you through the labyrinth? Yea, I remember that.”
“Hey, at least, you got the laptop of Daedalus,” you add, “I mean, that thing even had an international credit card programmed onto it, and gods remember the fake ID’s? We got so drunk on your 18th birthday- the party ponies came and everything. That was ridiculous.”
Jungkook cheekily smiles at the memory, and Taehyung detects it immediately. “What, Jeon? Smiling because you remember how shitfaced you were? You could’ve gotten a DUI on a pegasus if it weren’t for me.”
Jungkook can’t help but smile, “Gods Taehyung, you’re dumb.”
Taehyung shrugs, “But I’m your favorite.”
Reunited with your friends, you’re home.
-
Over the years, you’ve observed the multifaceted aspects of Jungkook’s character. 
There were special occasions by which he became rigidly serious- his pupils morphing into flames, a feature he clearly adopted from his father. 
You witnessed this firsthand when you were 13 when you and Jungkook were on a quest now dubbed the Quest of the Eternal Night. 
Los Angeles, the city of Angels home to all the glittering allure of Hollywood became shrouded in darkness. The mortals all assumed the famine was attributed to an extended solar eclipse when in reality it was the Greek monster Lamia who intended to conceal the entire world with darkness, starting with Los Angeles.
Once a beloved queen of Zeus, Lamia’s life went to shit when Hera, out of jealousy, mercilessly murdered Lamia’s children. Overwhelmed with grief, Lamia transformed into a child-devouring monster with a snake-like lower body. From the waist up, Lamia was the most beautiful woman you’ve ever encountered. Lamia resembled the little mermaid, her long orange hair reminiscent of warmth from the sun, perfectly framing her face and enhancing her mesmerizing glow. 
At the time, nobody in Camp Half-Blood  was aware of the true nature of the threat, just that it was most likely a monster.
Given the prevailing uncertainty, the Oracle presented herself at the daily campfire, revealing the prophecy to the entirety of Camp Half-Blood:
In shadows' grasp, the forge's child shall dance,
Beside the warrior, fire's fierce advance.
Through the endless night, a tandem in step they weave as one,
A celestial key, by blood begun.
Within shadows, echoes of a tragic tale,
Redemption blooms as darkness lifts its veil
In an instant, everyone's gaze shifted to you.
“In shadows' grasp, the forge's child shall dance,
Beside the warrior, fire's fierce advance.”
Not a single camper could contest that this was about you. Forge’s daughter, fire’s fierce advance- it dawned on you that the weight was on your shoulders, and you may be heading towards your impending doom.
A fight broke out between Jungkook, Namjoon, and Jinyoung son of Hermes over who would accompany you on the quest. Beside the warrior, fire’s fierce advance, indicating that the quest called for a warrior to your side.
Through the endless night, a tandem in step they weave as one,
What made you feel especially at unease was that the prophecy explicitly called for two demigods as opposed to three. In Greek mythology, the number three was associated with balance and completeness. Three celestial spheres governed the world- Zeus ruled the sky, Poseidon ruled the sea, and Hades presided over the underworld. There were three fates that determined the destinies of mortals and deities. The guard dog of the underworld Cerberus, had three heads. 
Three was a lucky number in Greek mythology, so why did this quest call for two?
“You fucking kidding me?” Jungkook mocked, crossing his arms as he stared at Jinyoung in disdain. He pointed at Jinyoung, singling him out in front of the entire camp. “This guy is a candidate for the quest? He’s a son of Hermes. All he does is send letters and shit.”
Thirteen year old Jungkook was a menace to society. 
Chiron, the camp activities director who was also a centaur (horse from the waist down and human from the waist up), cleared his throat and cast Jungkook a look that screamed boy, sit down. 
Jungkook clenched his jaw, acquiescing nonetheless, sitting on a log while glaring bitterly into the campfire. 
The night sky stretched above, adorned with a myriad of constellations depicting Greek heroes such as Hercules, Perseus, and Achilles. It was like the stars were mocking him, casting doubt that he would be selected for this quest. 
But he had to be chosen. He was positive he was the only demigod equipped with the skills to keep you safe on your quest. Jinyoung and Namjoon didn’t hold a candle to him.
The prophecy called for a warrior, and he was a warrior. He was the most talented offspring of his father, the literal god of warriors. It had to be him. 
Namjoon pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “With all due respect,” he begins, “We’re not going to send Jungkook’s dumbass on a quest alone with Y/N. He’d get both of them killed with his recklessness.”
Jungkook didn’t take that well. “I won’t,” he sneers, gesticulating with his hands dramatically, “None of you guys know Y/N like I do. I’m a warrior, and I’m going to protect her.” he states matter-a-factly.
Namjoon was probably one of the only demigods unphased by Jungkook’s abrasion. 
“Jeon, you might be a warrior, but there’s absolutely nothing in that head of yours. Sure, the prophecy calls for a warrior, but not a complete imbecile like you,” Namjoon spits, rising to his feet. “This quest needs someone with the capacity for strategic warfare, which my mother is the goddess of,” he declares, “The city is covered in darkness, so we’ll have to move around strategically. Your dumbass would walk straight to the enemy.” 
Jungkook stands at that, immediately squaring Namjoon up, hardened pupils daring Namjoon to back up his words with action. 
“He’s right, Jungkook,” Jinyoung adds, “You want to go on the quest because you want to protect Y/N. I want to go on this quest because I know our assets are compatible and that we work well together.”
“Y/N and I have the best chemistry out of everyone in the camp.” A bold claim by Jungkook, eliciting a few gasps from the gallery, and you tilt your head because you don’t believe that to necessarily be true.   
Jinyoung stands, “You know what Jeon? You think you’re the shit because your dad’s the god of war. Even as a Hermes kid, I guarantee I can beat you in sword to sword combat,” Jinyoung unsheathes his Celestial Bronze sword, and Jungkook’s pupils glitter against its shine.
“Winner goes on the quest,” Jungkook obliges, unsheathing his own Celestial Bronze sword, a wave of conviction clouding his aura. 
Chiron stomps his hooves on the terrain, demanding the attention of the camp. 
“That’s enough,” he declares sternly, “There will be no fighting. It will be Y/N’s choice. She gets to choose.”
All eyes drift towards you, putting you on the spot. 
You open and close your mouth repeatedly like a dying fish, not having a single clue how to respond. You wish Chiron would decide for you. You see yourself being fine with all three candidates, but you don’t even have the courage to consider making a decision. 
Jungkook cuts you off.
“I swear on the River Styx that I will complete this quest successfully, protect Y/N, and return safely.”
Jungkook’s sudden declaration elicits a collective gasp from the campers. 
Swearing on the River Styx meant making a promise so serious  it couldn't be broken. The River Styx was a sacred river in the Underworld, considered to be a boundary between the world of the living and the realm of the dead. Oaths sworn by the river were binding and unbreakable.
Swearing on the River Styx was incredibly wreckless of Jungkook, and he suffered severe reprimanding from Chiron for doing something so callous. 
And that was basically it. Jungkook already swore on the River Styx so he had to go through with the quest. That made your choice a lot easier, since you were pretty much indifferent to choosing your partner. 
Jungkook didn’t lie. He most certainly kept his binding oath.
After navigating through the mazes of Los Angeles, scaling the Hollywood sign, and coursing through the animatronics of Disneyland, you and Jungkook encountered your final foe, Lamia.
Lamia had the ability to psychologically torture her victims, eventually revealing that Jungkook was the perfect candidate for the quest because the psychological torture had no effect on him.
You liked to joke that it was because he didn’t have a brain.
Lamia cast a curse upon you, plunging you into a trance of your most haunting memories. You were transported into the scene of your mother's murder the previous year, forced to relive the moment a million times over. 
The flame you sparked from your fingers as a makeshift torch immediately went out, and you were rendered a screaming crying mess as you rolled on the floor with your fingernails scraping against the pavement.
The only light you perceived was the light reflected off Jungkook’s Celestial Bronze knife, the same one you forged years before when you were ten years old. 
Seeing you like that, Jungkook became so angry, his pupils exploded into flames and he immediately decapitated Lamia, returning light to sunny Los Angeles and sending Lamia into the depths of Tartarus.
-
When you were 19, the Earth mother Gaia, a primordial deity and the very essence of the Earth awakened from her slumber. Her goal was to overthrow the gods, wipe out humanity, and destroy Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-Blood so that she and her offspring, the giants and monsters, would reign over the world.
Obviously, that wasn’t good so you and six other demigods ventured on a quest to the homelands Rome and Greece to incapacitate Gaia. You were responsible for engineering a flying magical warship to transport said  group of seven demigods to Rome and Greece- and it was arguably the largest project you’ve ever taken on.
You still remember when the Oracle presented herself and read the prophecy aloud to the entire camp. 
"In realms of ancient twilight, seven shall heed the call,
To storm or fire, the Earth shall fall.
Forge’s armor, a shield against fate,
Through the ancient homelands, they navigate.
A choice profound, in shadows deep,
To banish Gaia's wrath in fiery sweep.
In storm's embrace or fire's light,
Seven demigods shall rewrite the ancient night."
After the Oracle announced the prophecy, you felt personally victimized and were ready to throw the towel in to drown yourself in the Atlantic Ocean.
To storm or fire the Earth shall fall?
Nothing was definitive, but that basically meant a child of Zeus or Hephaestus would be designated to vanquish Gaia, and since you’re the only child of Hephaestus who can wield fire, you were left in a sheer state of terror. 
Forge’s armor? 
There was no doubt in your mind that it had something to do with you- and your intuition was accurate. 
You would soon be embarking solo into the depths of the Hephaestion (temple of Hephaestus) to recover the armor your father forged for the Olympians in the original war against the Titans. You needed this armor to defeat Gaia’s offspring, the giants, because the armor bestowed its wearer with the divine capabilities of their demigod parent. 
That was great and all, but you didn’t understand why you had to travel solo to retrieve it.  You didn’t know what perils lay ahead, and to your luck, there was another prophecy- just for you. The fates consistently chose you for perilous quests- you were obviously their favorite.
"In forge's embrace, beneath Hephaestion's grace,
A child of fire seeks the lost, a sacred trace.
Through tunnels deep, where riddles guard the way,
Guardians forged in flame demand a price to pay.
The armor forged for gods, in shadows it lay.
Alone she tread, the quest's weight to bear,
A solitary journey through trials and despair."
A solitary journey through trials and despair- how exciting! 
You wanted nothing more than to be with Namjoon, Taehyung, Jungkook, and all your friends. If you had it your way, you would bring the other six demigods with you, but the prophecy made it clear: Alone she tread, the quest’s weight to bear.
Your final moments may very well be under the ruins of the Hephaestion, and no matter how you screamed and cried, there would be nobody to save you, just miles and miles of dirt and terrain. 
By this time, it had been a year since Jungkook started riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle. 
The motorcycle was a gift from his father, and was presented to Jungkook in the form of a Rolex watch. With a press of a button, the watch unfurled and morphed into a sleek Harley Davidson motorcycle.
Jungkook was a talented rider, maneuvering swiftly through the hills and slopes of Athens, gripping the handles so tightly that his knuckles became white and the wounds on his hands reopened.
You clung tightly to his waist, finding solace as you rested your cheek against the back of his leather jacket, reveling in the warmth of his body while you had the chance.
You were scared out of your mind.
Jungkook evidently feels the same way, the look of apprehension on his face something you will never forget. He grimaces, utter trepidation enveloping his features as his eyebrows furrow and his eyes reflect a sense of unease. His hands, once steady, now betray a subtle tremor, and the air seems to thicken with the weight of his anxiety.
Braking abruptly at the entrance of the Hephaestion, the motorcycle veers sharply, casting dirt onto the ancient ruins. It's his way of telling Hephaestus to go fuk himself for having his nineteen-year-old daughter tread through the temple’s ruins to her potential doom. With a spiteful glare at the ruins, he mounts his vehicle and helps you off the motorcycle, watching as it folds back into a Rolex watch on his wrist.
His heart melts when he sees how glossy your eyes are. Jungkook hates the gods- nothing but deadbeat parents who fucked and reproduced like animals. He hates this stupid quest. 
For a very brief moment, Jungkook dares to imagine life as a normal person. A luxury he would never experience in his life: normalcy, and he knows it’s pointless to covet for what he doesn’t have but he can’t help but desperately delude himself into thinking that he’s dropping you off at class, your first day of work, to hang out with your friends, and not on a dangerous quest. 
In an alternative universe, University Y/N and Jungkook would be a campus couple. Gods, if the circumstances were different he would have confessed years ago. He just hasn’t because the very act of loving is selfish when you’re a demigod. 
Jungkook can’t confess to you and then die the very next day. And assuming that you do feel the same way and choose to become his girlfriend- he just doesn’t know if he’ll randomly drop off the face of the Earth and he can’t bear to think of you just waiting for him, sobbing on your knees by the barriers of Camp Half-Blood. 
Perhaps he’s projecting his deep-rooted fears onto you. If Jungkook ever gets a taste of you then loses you- he knows he would never be the same.
Gods, it’s cynical, but it’s true. 
He pulls himself out of his little trance.
“Y/N.”
Jungkook looks at you, sees that you’re trembling- scared shitless. 
“Take this.” He slides off wristwatch and puts it onto yours. 
The gesture has you tearing up, and once a single tear falls from your lashes, Jungkook’s brows furrow thoroughly. “Y/N. You’re one of the strongest demigods I’ve ever fucking met. You’re going to make it through. You’re going to find the armor, and once you’re done, we’re going to take care of it.”
Jungkook sounds confident in his conviction, and it almost rubs off on you. 
You pout. “I-I I have to fight too.”
“No. No you don’t. I’m going to fight for you. Look. If you’re not safe, take the watch off. It’ll magically appear on my wrist, so I’m going to assume that you’re not okay and go in there if it comes back to me.”
“Except you can’t do that,” Namjoon points out from above. A glorious, beautiful white pegasus lands adjacent to you, neighing and rearing on its hind legs. Its two passengers dismount the pegasus and intervene between you and Jungkook.
“You can’t interfere with the prophecy, Jungkook. That’s going to make things worse.”
Jungkook’s body uncomfortably stiffens, and his jaw clenches. “So you’re going to let Y/N in there alone? We have to do something about it.”
Taehyung sighs, joining the conversation. “Kook, if something happens, we’ll know. We’ll sense if something happens to her. You’re going to make things worse if you follow her. You can’t.”
You nod in agreement. “I’m gonna keep the watch. It’s the same thing as bringing a weapon in there. It’s fine- and who knows- I might have to ride the motorcycle over a volcano or some stupid shit like that,” you mutter, “But Jungkook, you can’t come after me. If I die, then it’ll be by the gods’ will, but I swear on the River Styx that I’l get you that armor, even if that means my life is at risk.”
Jungkook’s expression hardens at that. 
“Don’t say that,” Namjoon mutters, “You’re going to jinx it.”
Taehyung sighs, pulling you in for a hug. He rests his head against your neck, and you can feel his hot breath tickling your skin. “Good luck Y/N. You got this. You’re the most capable demigod I know. You got your tool belt?” He asks, pulling away and checking your waist. 
Sure enough, your tool belt was wrapped securely around your hips, just like it always was. You nod. 
“Then you’re going to succeed,” Taehyung declares, “You got that thing strapped on you? Nobody can do shit to you,” his gentle smirk comforts you. 
Namjoon hugs you next, pulling away to place his glasses on the bridge of your nose. Namjoon’s glasses, a gift from his mother that allows the user to see the most successful strategy for any situation.
You scowl. “Aren’t you going to need this?”
Namjoon shakes his head. “I have my brain and that’s all I need. You need this.”
You smile and face Jungkook. No words could convey the emotions on his face. He approaches you and hugs you tightly, eyes squeezing shut in anxiety and anguish once you melt in his embrace. “You got this, inferno princess. Let’s give hell to those stupid giants.”
You nod at them, running off into the ruins of the temple of Hephaestus.
-
You face countless trials, mechanical automatrons, and fire obstacles that only you could have ever survived. And you were right- you did have to ride Jungkook’s motorcycle over a volcano. Crazy.
With the armor in your hands, you throw off the wristwatch, knowing that Jungkook would appear in minutes. Since the quest was complete, you had every right to call on your friends, and you knew they would arrive without fail. 
Anyway, had you known that just beneath the thin layer of dirt lay a pit straight to Tartarus, you wouldn't have called for him. The magical warship you engineered appears above you, and Jungkook plummets onto the dirt like a meteor. 
Mingyu son of Jupiter, Mina daughter of Venus, Rose daughter of Apollo, Namjoon, and Taehyung secure the armor and load it onto the ship. Its celestial glow was nearly too much for the interior of the warship to handle. 
Although the armor was safely loaded onto the ship, you weren't as fortunate.
The ground underneath you cracked, and you plummeted into a pit that led straight to Tartarus, the deepest pit of the Underworld where monsters, titans, and giants are imprisoned.  Jungkook almost immediately jumps in after you, prompting  the others to meet you guys at the Doors of Death.
You both fell for what seemed like hours, Jungkook’s strong arms securely wrapped around you, holding you tightly. You don’t know if it was days or hours, but you plummeted for what felt like forever. 
He refuses to let you go no matter how weak his arms become, and despite how fast you plummet, Jungkook tells you that it’s going to be okay every 1000 feet of your rapid descent. 
The atmosphere in Tartarus is noxious, causing boils to erupt on your skin, burns to sear, and intense headaches to course through your body- even before you slam into the terrain of Tartarus. 
Given that you survive falling into an infinity high pit, you and Jungkook are likely to die from the toxicity in the air. 
After what feels like a millenia, you perceive the ground from thousands of feet in the air.  
“Jungkook!” you scream, “Wrap your arms around my waist!”
He obliges, maneuvering your body so your back is pressed against his chest. 
Then, you get the work. 
Retrieving nylon fabric and sturdy rope from your toolbelt, you intertwine the rope around the fabric, fashioning the parachute's framework with the added support of metal tubing. Handing Jungkook a specially crafted two-person harness, he allows you to slip into the loops before he follows suit. 
You attach the harness to the metal framework and deploy the parachute,allowing you and Jungkook to drift to the ground.  
Upon landing, you stumble on your knees, hyperventilating as the adrenaline courses through your body. Jungkook joins you, also dropping to his knees as he gently cradles your face. He appears just as disoriented, resting his forehead against yours. “You good?” he asks, chest rising up and down. 
You nod before you fall into his arms, sobbing. 
“Thank gods I’m with you,” he murmurs into your skin.Jungkook embraces you tightly, his hands moving soothingly up and down your back. Once you've calmed down, he assists you in getting back on your feet. “We’ll be okay,” he states, holding you by the crook of your arm. “I’m here. I got you.”
Tartarus is an ominous realm with a combination of shadowy chasms and rugged terrains. Heavy clouds loom overhead, casting a dark veil across the landscape. The ground is uneven, marked by deep crevices that seemingly stretch into infinity. Unsettling sounds permeate the air, forming an eerie symphony of the cries and moans of monsters.  
You and Jungkook quickly fall ill to the noxious atmosphere in Tartarus. 
Jungkook’s handsome face erects boils, and he appears more ill with each passing moment. 
“Kook,” you nudge him with your body, “You alright?”
He nods, gulping. “‘m good, inferno princess. Worry about yourself.”
You pause. “You’re clearly not okay.” On cue, Jungkook stumbles to his knees, and you fall to yours as he rests his head on your shoulder. You’re not sure why you’re not as affected, but you always knew that it was relative to your immunity to fire. 
Suddenly, an idea appears in your head. 
The River Phlegethon. 
The River Phlegethon is a river coursing through Tartarus, made entirely of molten lava.
It is said to consist of healing properties that keep monsters alive. It may work on demigods too. 
You rush to the River Phlegethon, submerging your metal water bottle beneath its fiery surface before rushing back to Jungkook. “Drink this.”
“What the fuck-”
You force it to his lips and down his throat. He gazes at you with despondency, like you’ve betrayed him horribly. He clutches his throat, retching and coughing at the sensation of molten lava down his throat. You eye him back like an insane person, bringing the bottle to your lips before you gulp down the rest of the lava. 
The only way to describe drinking molten lava is painful, excruciatingly horribly painful, even with your immunity to fire. But after a moment of torture, you feel good as new. 
It must have had the same effect on Jungkook because the boils vanish, and the familiar youthful glow returns to his face. 
“Gods inferno princess. Thought you were trying to kill me,” Jungkook jokes. 
“Holy shit. I can’t believe it actually worked!” you exclaim to which Jungkook scowls. “So you shoved that down my throat when you weren’t even sure-”
“Well, well, well. Demigods in Tartarus. Now that’s a sight I didn’t think I’d ever see. And it just so happens to be the same demigods who banished me down to this pit.”
You and Jungkook whip your heads to the direction of the voice. Lamia, the same monster you encountered on the Quest of the Eternal Night.
 Seeing Lamia again for the first time in years makes your knees buckle. There was no doubt in your mind that her abilities would be enhanced within the depths of Tartarus. 
She still adopts the appearance of a monster with the grotesque combination of human and serpent, her coiled, snake-like body merging seamlessly with a distorted human upper torso. 
Jungkook, reckless as ever, doesn’t hold back. “Lamia, you tried to kill Y/N! You committed a sin, and you’re reaping the consequences! Now leave, or I’ll kill you again!” Jungkook roars, causing Lamia to scoff as she slithers.
“A grandson of Zeus,” she sneers, “Just like your grandfather. Stupid. Reckless. Selfish.  Demigods are no different from gods. Hera murdered my children, and I will murder every single one of her descendants in return.”
Jungkook grimaces, instinctively stepping in front of you to shield you with his larger frame.  “Then take it out on her. Believe me when I say I’m not the biggest fan of Hera either. We are not her allies. Just go on your way, and we won’t have a problem.”
Jungkook is especially talented at bluffing. He knows he doesn’t have the advantage on Lamia’s home court, and you can tell how terrified he is by the way his body trembles. 
Lamia cackles, a Grinch-like smirk spreading across her lips as she goes for Jungkook’s weak spot: You.
Her red eyes look straight into yours and you begin trembling uncontrollably. 
She compels your mind with millions of
distressing and heart-wrenching visions, flooding your hippocampus with agonizing memories that aren’t even yours. The overload is so intense, and  you feel the barriers of your brain expanding, threatening to implode. 
The intensified influence of Tartarus seems to be amplifying Lamia's powers. 
She no longer simply wield the ability to psychologically torture with the victim’s own memories, she can harness the most agonizing memories of the history of the world to lead you to your demise.  
Gruesome visions from World War 2 relentlessly flow into your mind.  
Your brain synchronizes its rhythm with your heartbeat – thump, thump, thump. Each beat sends a jolt through your body, and your breath hitches in your throat when your mind drifts to a vision of the Allied and Axis Powers marching towards one another. 
The memories relentlessly infiltrate your mind, and you find yourself understanding the ruthless mindset of soldiers who were not merely bent on killing but also on torturing and annihilating- annihilating everything. 
Victims of chemical warfare desperately tear at their skin, their heads exploded by gunshots. Gradually, you start feeling the effects of chemical warfare creeping over you, prompting an agonizing scream as you instinctively claw at your own face.
Suddenly, a gun magically materializes itself a few yards from you. 
With tears relentlessly running down your face and hives protruding from your skin, you crawl towards it, not minding that your fingernails are digging into poisonous terrain because you’re hellbent on ending this agony.  
Jungkook quickly engages Lamia in combat with his sword. Jungkook bitterly laughsl in amusement when Lamia unfurls wings from her sides, soaring around him. Of course she can fly.
Flying around Jungkook, Lamia claws and slashes, leaving a deep cut on his bicep. Grimacing in pain, he falls to his knees, clutching the wound. His expression contorts into agony, the pain becoming so excruciating that sensation from his arm starts slipping away. He tries to wiggle his fingers, but he can’t. 
His ears ring, prompting a groan as he bites his lip, striving to mentally overcome the pain. Lamia's maniacal laughter echoes in his mind, but the throbbing in Jungkook's arm drowns it into a dull background noise.
From the corner of his eye, he sees you in the midst of your psychological torment, crawling towards a nearby gun. 
His face falls when he realizes the scenario Lamia is attempting to placate.
“Fuck,” he mutters under his breath, immediately rising to his knees and kicking the gun into the River Phlegethon. 
Regret immediately washes over him as he watches the gun fall into the depths of the River Phlegethon. Your hysterical trance may actually compel you to jump into the river to go after it.  
You were immune to fire, but Jungkook isn’t so sure that you’ll survive a bath in the river of fire.
He winces, trying to mentally overcome the intensifying throbbing in his arm so he can finally finish things.
Jungkook hurts so much seeing you like this: sobbing, ripping your hair out, writhing in agony at Lamia’s infliction.
Lamia had already taken a part of you when you were 14, leaving you shivering and trembling in the eternal darkness of Los Angeles. Jungkook would be damned if he let it happen again.
When Jungkook was 14 years old, he sent Lamia to Tartarus by decapitating her. He thinks  this time, he’ll get rid of her for good by shredding her into dust, leaving no mercy.
He’ll make her death the most painful one he’s ever inflicted.
With flames in his pupils, he charges towards Lamia, slashing up with his sword to cut off the bottom of her snake tail. Before it hits the ground, he slashes it for what must have been a hundred times, cutting her tail into such tiny pieces that the wind carries her remains away.
She howls in pain and Jungkook takes that as an opportunity to leap up and tackle her to the ground. He holds her down with his good arm, his strength easily overpowering hers. 
He starts by cutting off her arms, shredding her arms into nothing but dust. He finishes the job, leaving nothing but her head. It’s bloody and gruesome, but it’s everything Jungkook is used to. 
He makes sure to slice off her fangs as he picks her up from her long orange hair. 
Practically drenched in Lamia’s blood, Jungkook turns his head and sees you lying like a dead sack of potatoes by the River Phlegethon. The tips of your fingers are lying in the river, meaning he killed Lamia just in time.
He runs over to you and immediately fishes a canteen of nectar from his backpack, setting your head on his thigh as he puts the nectar to your lips, feeling thankful as you respond by weakly sipping on it.
Putting a hand on your forehead, he feels that you’re absolutely burning up. After weakly sipping  on the nectar, you gasp like you’ve breathed your first breath.
Jungkook immediately pulls you into his embrace, his eyes full of so much relief. “Gods, inferno princess. I’m so happy that you’re okay.”
You sob into his shirt. “I was so useless, I’m sorry. You saved me. Thank you so much.”
Jungkook holds you even tighter, allowing you to sob into his shirt as he savors the sensation of having you in his arms, alive and okay. 
Jungkook pulls back, fingers combing through your hair and tucking a strand behind your ear. He hands cradle your jaw, his thumbs wiping your tears away, until he realizes that he actually smeared Lamia’s blood on your face. 
“Oops- sorry, I got blood on you,” he sheepishly mutters, biting his lip. 
You giggle at that, wiping the blood away with your sleeve before your eyes drift towards that large gash on Jungkook’s arm.
“Gods Jungkook!” you exclaim, reaching into your magic toolbelt to pull out some healing properties. Your magic toolbelt always materializes what you need just in time.  
“Oh this?” Jungkook looks down at the gash on his arm that is now foaming, bloody, and turning a shade of green, “This papercut? Don’t even worry about it.”
You scoff, quickly cleaning the wound and wrapping his arm in bandages. Jungkook always pretends like he doesn’t feel any pain, but you don’t miss the way he winces in pain when you begin to apply pressure on his wound.
Once the task is complete, your gaze shifts to the decapitated head of Lamia. Her eyes are void of life and color. Without a doubt, Jungkook had completed his duty successfully.
You narrow your eyes, examining her head, devoid of the snake's lower body, claws, and fangs. 
Your chest aches as you exhale shakily. 
Lamia was the most strikingly beautiful being you’ve ever encountered. You’ve met the goddess of beauty Aphrodite multiple times, and you dare to entertain the idea that Lamia surpasses her beauty.
Aphrodite has the kind of beauty that was glamorous and attention-commanding.  
Lamia, on the other hand, was naturally radiant. Her look could not be easily imitated by artificial means. She was a sculpture, a form of art that would never be replicated.
No wonder the queen of the gods was so envious. No wonder the king of the gods was so utterly obsessed and smitten with her. 
Her beauty is a reminder that at her core, Lamia was a human being. A tragic soul whose children met a ruthless end by none other than the gods you served. Her long, soft, and luscious orange hair cascaded across Tartarus's harsh terrain, comfortingly beautiful against its vile surroundings. 
You wanted to cry. You wanted to weep for her as much as you wanted to kill her.
Eyes lifting towards Jungkook, you force a slight smile. “Ready to finish the deal?”
Jungkook looks at you and nods, unsheathing the knife on his waist, offering you the very celestial bronze knife you forged for him when you were ten years old. 
You find yourself torn between tears and laughter. For some reason he always kept that stupid knife with him. You would never tell him, but it made you so emotional- like the knife was a symbol for yours and his unbreakable bond. 
“You got this, inferno princess.”
You nod, gulping nervously as your fingertips brush against his, your fist closing over the handle of the knife. 
You’re on the verge of bringing Jungkook’s knife down on her head, your features harden as you prepare to end Lamia for good, seeking retribution for the torment she’s inflicted and the lives she’s taken. 
With a scream you will yourself to bring the knife down. 
Until you don’t. 
Your features soften, and the celestial knife falls with a thud.
You cast a glance at Jungkook, and he responds with a nod, seemingly grasping your thoughts.
His right hand entwines with your left, and he closes his eyes. "Oh gods, I implore your mercy upon her soul. May the fates consider her past, the loss of her children, and the wrath from the queen of the gods. I offer her head as a solemn sacrifice." 
As he speaks, your fingers tighten around his, clinging onto his every word, sobbing in relief that he shares your sentiments of grief for her poor soul, even after she tried to kill you both.
With a shaky exhale, you continue. “Kindly extend your compassion to her spirit and reunite her with her offspring in the Fields of Asphodel. Anywhere but the Fields of Punishment would suffice. Please, shower your mercy upon her.”
And with that, you hold the celestial bronze knife up and bring her millenia long suffering to an end.
-
Following your encounter with Lamia, you and Jungkook continue your journey, navigating through the rugged terrain, weaving between jagged rocks and hiding in concealed potholes.  
Unfortunately, monsters are literally built to sense demigods so it isn’t long until you encounter another monster.
The next monster you encountered is Cheimarrhus. Cheimarrhus is less of a monster and more of an elemental force: the essence of coldness in Tartarus. 
When she assumes humanoid form, her skin becomes icy blue with silver hues. Her hair cascades like frozen tendrils, and her eyes gleam with an otherworldly coldness. 
The aura surrounding her is so frozen cold that your flame is nothing but a mere candle.
You aren’t able to construct anything with your tool belt because Cheimarrhus simply morphed into an elemental force when you attacked. What is a hammer going to do against a snowflake?
It isn’t just that. Her  mere presence is enough to extinguish your flames, physically weakening you to your knees.
On the earthly realm, Khione is the goddess of snow and winter. Cheimarrhus seems to be the Tartarus version over her.
After hours of treading away from Lamia, you and Jungkook sit in a concealed pothole, warming yourselves with a makeshift fire sparked by your finger. Jungkook sits closely by you, wrapping an arm around you while you rest your head on his shoulder. 
“Thank you Jungkook,” you murmur, “Thank you for saving me from Lamia. Gods, I was about to jump in the River Phlegethon- I could have died.” You burn your eyes into the lively flame, finding solace in its orange and red hues. 
Jungkook looks at you incredulously. “Inferno princess,” he expresses dumbfoundedly, “We’re in this together. We’re a team. I would give my life for you to survive. You’re key to defeating Gaia. The others can’t do it without you.”
Your gaze remains fixed on the fire. You shake your head. “Don’t talk about losing your life so easily. I would give my life for you to survive, Kook. I already played my part by retrieving the armor from the Hephaestion. I’m not needed anymore.” 
Your declaration is solemn, but you truly do mean it. You’ve played your role in accordance with the prophecy. Jungkook, Mingyu, Rose, Mina, Taehyung, and Namjoon would fare well without you.
Jungkook’s features harden. “Then I’ll make sure we both make it.”
A smile adorns your lips, and Jungkook thinks that the loveliness of your smile would bring life to flowers even in the heart of Tartarus. You nudge him softly with your body. “That’s true. We’re both going to make it.”
“That’s right, inferno princess. Atta girl. None of this death talk anymore. It’s depressing.”
You snuggle into the warmth of Jungkook’s body, enjoying the brevity of peace in the deepest pit of hell- until something feels off. You immediately jerk away from him, eliciting a look of concern from Jungkook. 
“Would she mind that we’re -like- cuddling right now?” you ask.
Jungkook frowns. “Who?”
“Seraphina. I mean- you haven’t mentioned her once this entire time. Don’t you miss her?”
Seraphina is Jungkook’s special friend, or talking stage, or something like that. In your opinion, she’s easily the most beautiful girl at camp, even amongst her siblings in the Aphrodite cabin. 
Before you left on the voyage to Greece, you’d seen Jungkook and Seraphina meandering around camp, holding hands, making out behind the Ares cabin. 
He blinks at you with a sense of disbelief. “Inferno princess,” he deadpans, “We’re literally freezing our asses off in Tartarus. She’ll be fine.”
You shake your head. “Even in Tartarus, it doesn’t feel right. Seraphina’s my friend-”
“She’s not my girlfriend,” Jungkook cuts you off.
“But I saw you-”
Jungkook shakes his head. “We’re just messing around. She’s about to break things off with me anyways. It’s a rite of passage in the Aphrodite cabin- breaking a boy’s heart. Bonus points if it’s an Ares kid. She thinks she’s playing me but I’m playing her.”
You frown. “Oh.”
Typical of an Aphrodite kid. Aphrodite cheated on your dad with Jungkook’s dad, and you can’t help but feel scorn for her. You thought Seraphina was better than that.
Jungkook playing along with it is kinda icky too. You decide to call him out for it once you return to the mortal world. 
As a Hephaestus kid, it’s definitely in your nature to judge the antics of Ares and Aphrodite kids.
“Are you sure you’re not just bringing it up because of Jaehyun?” he raises a brow at you and pulls you from your judgemental trance. 
You scoff. “Seriously? How much longer are you going to bring that up?”
Last summer, you kissed Jaehyun, son of Apollo after the daily campfire ceremony. He had just returned on a quest to retrieve the Pythian bow. The Pythian bow is a golden bow with arrows that never miss their mark. The very existence of the Pythian bow guaranteed the precision and accuracy of all archers.
When news came out that it was stolen, Jaehyun, Namjoon, and Nayeon, a hunter of Artemis, were sent on a quest to Yellowstone National Park to get it back.
When they returned, Jaehyun announced that the Pythian bow was stolen by a giant and offspring of Gaia, Tityos.
Tityos was said to have lusted after Leto, Artemis and Apollo’s mother, and attempted to violate Leto during her pregnancy. Apollo and Artemis who were still in their mother’s womb were not pleased by this and slew Tityos with their arrows once they were born. 
When Jaehyun announced to the camp that Tityos, the offspring of Gaia, had returned from Tartarus, a bone chilling unease dispersed through the assembly of demigod campers. With hindsight, you realize that this was only the beginning of Gaia’s revival. 
Back then, you were so relieved to see that he returned safely so you ran into his arms and kissed his cheek. It was a heat-in-the-moment thing, and when Jaehyun turned his head- well, that was your first kiss. 
The  weight of it settled uncomfortably in your stomach when you realized that Jaehyun was all in for you. Letting him down was heart-wrenching,  and you still feel terrible for breaking the guy’s heart.
Crazily enough, Jungkook witnessed the entire thing during a walk back from the woods. Once you pulled away from Jaehyun, Jungkook approached you both, slow-clapping like an evil villain. Jaehyun glared intensely at Jungkook, who scoffed in disdain before sauntering back to the Ares cabin. 
He made you feel like shit and you were still pissed about it.
“Gods Y/N, I had to bleach my eyes out after witnessing that. I deserve to be compensated,” he sasses.
You shake your head in disbelief. “That was my first kiss, Kook. And now I have to think of my first kiss with your deplorable face in mind.”
Jungkook’s lips curl smugly. “Good.”
You glare at him. “Is that all you have to say? Asshole.”
He shrugs. “Just give me a hug, inferno princess. We should get back on our feet soon.” He opens his arms, prompting a disdainful expression from you.
Your eyes drift towards the bandaged wound on his bicep, and your features soften. “Does it still hurt?”
Just looking at the thing made your arm throb. Disgusting shades of green and purple peeked through the sheer bandages. “Hold up, let me clean it.”
You reach into your tool belt, the materials in mind magically appearing. 
As you undo his bandages, Jungkook’s features curl in agony, wincing at the re-exposure. You use sterile gauze to wipe the wound before dabbing it with petroleum jelly. 
Jungkook’s arms are thick, but you treat his skin as if it’s the most delicate substance. Gently cleaning the wound with an antiseptic solution, you rewrap it with a sterile bandage, ensuring a snug fit.  
“It should have been me.”
You lift your head, staring at him with a look of curiosity, your eyes flickering around his features to detect any insincerity. 
You  know what he’s talking about, but you still feel the need to ask. “What?”
“Your first kiss,” he replies, flexing and extending his arm in comfort now that it was freshly bandaged. “It should have been me.”
He looks right at you, his expression hardened- perhaps to mask his vulnerability or to convey the sincerity of his confession. 
With his features so stoic, you take a second to admire how handsome he is. 
Even with his face battered and bloody, he resembles a sculpture. Every feature aligns to create the most handsome person you've ever seen. 
Your breath catches in your throat. You open your mouth to respond, but nothing comes out. 
He relents on his stoic expression, a subtle warmth enveloping his features as he releases a light-hearted laughter. “You don’t have to say anything. I just wanted to let you know,” he looks around and rubs the nape of his neck, “Tartarus isn’t the best place to make a confession, eh?”
You laugh in disbelief, “That was very Jungkook of you,” you comment, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear.
He smiles, dusting his pants off to stand up, offering you a hand. You take his hand, standing, and at that moment, your makeshift fire extinguishes. The temperature plummets, and the night becomes impossibly dark.
Jungkook immediately unsheathes his celestial bronze knife, assuming defensive stance as he conducts a 360 degree scan of his surroundings. 
There is a clear threat, but he can’t detect any presence. 
You stand back to back with Jungkook, hair rapidly whipping against the fierce winds. The plummeting temperature sends chills through your skin, nearly freezing you solid.
 You will yourself to blaze a fire from your fingertips, but to no avail. You exert more magical energy into at least sparking a flame, but the force of the frigid winds snuffs your flame out every time.
Suddenly, an evil cackle echoes throughout the atmosphere.
“Foolish demigods, entering Tartarus unprepared," the voice resonates with an eerie chill. "In the realm of perpetual cold, your feeble flames are but futile flickers. These days, Tartarus really likes cooling down." The freezing air intensifies, making it harder for you to even draw breath.
You attempt once more to summon a flame from your fingertips, determined to defy the numbing cold. However, the frigid winds persistently resist your efforts, extinguishing any spark you manage to conjure.
“Reveal yourself,” Jungkook utters lowly. 
“Isn’t the cold to your liking?” As she speaks, she becomes  louder, her voice ringing in your ears and making you wince. 
Particles of snow begin whirling around in tornado formation ahead of you, the tornado becoming thinner and thinner until it morphs  into humanoid form. The woman who appears has icy blue skin, hair cascading in frozen tendrils, and a glacial aura that crystallizes the air within a three foot vicinity. 
Taking in her humanoid form, you finally realize who she is, and you gasp. “Cheimarrhus.” 
You don’t realize how much your lips are trembling until you hear your own voice- the way you said her name sounded nothing more than a chatter. 
She smirks. “Well done, young demigod. I applaud you for recognizing me. The power-hungry Olympians have practically wiped my name from existence. The gods all know that Khione is threatened by me.”
The face of Khione, the goddess of snow and winter on the earthly realm appears in your mind. 
Jungkook eyes you before lying straight through his teeth. “That’s not true. You’re in our curriculum at Camp Half-Blood: Tartarus Monsters 202. They don’t even teach you in 101 because you’re too advanced and powerful.”
Cheimarrhus seems to be pleased by that, satisfaction enveloping her features before she sneers. “The giants must be the center of the 101 course. I swear they get all the attention.”
You nod in agreement. “Of course. But you understand that’s standard, right? They don’t dare let the younger demigods know about you because they would have too many nightmares.”
Cheimarrhus cackles, licking her lips.
 You and Jungkook eye each other, awkwardly laughing along with her to hopefully appease the blizzard. 
“SILENCE.”
You flinch, taking a step back, Jungkook reaching for your hand to stabilize you. 
“Do you take me for a fool? You demigods and your lies. Typical,” she spits, her anger causing the temperature to plummet even more. “Now demigods, suffer. I will win Tartarus’s favor by freezing you to death.”
“Hey! We were just trying to be nice!-”
Her body morphs into snow particles, whirling around before it disperses throughout the atmosphere. 
You look at Jungkook, ice crystallizing around strands of his hair, his skin an unhealthy hue of blue, and his lips trembling. You’re sure you don’t look much better because his features morph into horror when he looks at you. 
“Y-Y/N. L-let’s take the motorcycle and get the outta here.”
“What about th-the monsters?” 
“Fuck that, we’ll freeze to death first.”
You nod in agreement, and Jungkook presses a button on his watch, watching as it unfolds into a Celestial Bronze Harley Davidson motorcycle. You zoom off on the motorcycle, arms locked around Jungkook’s waist. Gods, getting on the motorcycle was probably a worse idea, the frigid air rushing against your face as the motorcycle accelerated. 
Cheimarrhus is relentless, trailing on you as rapidly as she matches the motorcycle’s speed. 
“Jungkook!” You call out, “This isn’t working!”
The motorcycle comes to an abrupt stop and you both tumble onto the ground as the watch returns to Jungkook’s wrist. 
You crawl around the ground, sobbing and looking for Jungkook. “Jungkook, where are you? Please Jungkook, please!”
You hear him shuffle towards you before he helps you up from both armpits. You both tread to a nearby pothole, settling into it while you cling onto each other, desperately clinging to each other’s body heat.
The side effects of frostbite can be fatal. In highly severe instances, the freezing cold penetrates human tissue, causing body parts like toes, fingers, and noses to freeze and eventually fall off. 
You close your eyes, nestling in Jungkook’s embrace as you prepare to welcome your final moments. 
“Jungkook?”
“Hm?”
“I had a crush on you from -like- 12 to 15. I thought I should let you know in case, you know.”
“Gods inferno princess, didn’t we agree to not talk about death? It’s just an average day for us demigods. Frostbite, freezing to death? What does that even mean? It would never happen to us,” he muses, blue lips curling up into a teasing smile. 
You push your face into the now sopping fabric of Jungkook’s shirt, laughing. Who would even laugh in a situation like this? 
“So what’d I do to make you stop liking me?” he asks, looking down at you. 
“Nothing, you just didn’t like me back,” you shrug, your shoulders barely moving in the freezing cold. 
“That’s not true. I liked you the moment I laid eyes on you. That’s why I was such an asshole. It was the only way 10-year-old me knew how to flirt.”
You cease your motions, your frosty eyebrows scrunching in confusion. “You always had a thing for Aphrodite girls. I didn’t know.”
“It was only because you never batted an eye at me. Had me heartbroken.”
You shake your head in amusement. “Gods, I think that’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard, even in Tartarus.” 
“What do you say? Do you have it in your heart to give me another chance? I want you for real. I want us for real.”
After the incident last summer, you swore you wouldn’t ever make any spur-in-the-moment decisions, until your frosty fingers cup Jungkook’s cheeks, and you kiss him. 
Jungkook seems a bit taken aback, but reciprocates your kiss with equal fervor, placing his hands on the small of your back to stabilize you. The ice on your lips melts, and at that moment, everything seems okay. 
Gods, you feel so warm on the inside that the temperature outside seems to gradually rise.
You pull back, eyes flickering around your surroundings. The blizzard is gone. Cheimarrhus is gone. Somehow the warmth returned, making even Tartarus feel like a tropical paradise. 
In relief, you pull Jungkook in for another kiss. He holds your cheeks with his rugged palms, practically drinking from your lips in reprieve. 
The sound of thundering footsteps pull you away from each other. 
Yours and Jungkook’s heads whip towards the sounds of the footsteps, and there stands a thirty foot giant. 
The giant is colossal in stature, the stony texture of his skin giving him an appearance as if built from the very rocks that surrounded him. The monster has a horrifying and booming presence, its malevolent aura casting an ominous feeling in your gut.
The giant blinks at you and Jungkook, the most nonchalant look cloaking his rugged features. 
Momentarily, you consider the idea that the giant might not see you- but no he does- because he dismisses your mere existence with a wave before sauntering back to a hut a kilometer away. 
“Holy shit,” Jungkook mutters. 
Every footstep the giant takes induces vibrations through the terrain, making yours and Jungkook’s teeth chatter just as much as Cheimarrhus’s blizzard did. 
“Sir! Excuse me, sir! Can you help us?!” Jungkook’s voice echoes throughout the atmosphere and your heart drops into your ass. 
Giants were the direct offspring of Gaia, the Earthmother you were on a quest to kill. 
If Cheimarrhus didn’t kill you, then this giant would surely be the one to finish the deal. 
The giant slowly turns around, eyes narrowing at you like you’re the scum of the Earth. You shudder in anticipation.
“Follow me to my hut,” is all he says, turning back around and walking steadily towards his hut.
You and Jungkook quickly scramble to your feet, fingers intertwined as you trail behind the giant, leaving a few meters in between you and the giant. 
The giant turns around again, and it’s like the whole earth rumbles. “What are you doing? Hurry up!” You and Jungkook cast questionable glances at each other, but nonetheless scramble to the giant’s side. 
After a few odd moments of walking,  the giant speaks up. “So, how’d you two get to Tartarus? I’ve never seen any demigods around here before.”
A giant starting a casual conversation with you in Tartarus was not on your bingo card for this year. 
Jungkook told the giant the entire story eliciting a deep sigh from the monster. “That’s my mother, always insistent on wreaking havoc. She banished me and disowned me, her son for the same reason- because I refused to fight your father.” He looks right at Jungkook, and at that moment, a lightbulb appears above your head.
The giant you were addressing was Damasen.
Damasen was originally a giant created by the Earth goddess Gaea to serve her in her plans to overthrow the Olympian gods.
 He was designed to be the bane of Ares, Jungkook’s father. Damasen was quite literally created to embody the antithesis of the war god’s essence, the only being designed to incapacitate Ares. 
Ultimately, this backfired on Gaia.  While many giants were naturally hostile towards the gods, Damasen differed in nature. Damasen rejected war, with a gentle heart that rejected the brutality often associated with Ares. 
“You’re Damasen” you exhale breathlessly. 
“Correct, daughter of Hephaestus. Come in my hut and have soup, then I’ll send you both on your way.”
Damasen the Friendly poured you and Jungkook bowls of drakon soup, chunks of drakon meat floating in the broth.
“What about you, Mr. Damasen? Why don’t you tell us your story?” you implore, heartily sipping down the soup.
Damasen smiles. “It’s just as I said. I rejected war, resulting in abandonment from my mother. Instead, I chose to live a peaceful life on Earth as a farmer. I befriended other mortal farmers, and we lived in harmony planting wheat and barley,” he shrugs, lifting his mug in a fatherly way as he takes a sip of hot water.
You and Jungkook exchange dumbfounded glances. A giant living peacefully among mortals was absolutely unheard of.
“It was a peaceful millenia,” he continues, “Until a drakon escaped into the mortal realm and began ravaging all the farms. I couldn’t let it be. I slayed it. My mother banished me to Tartarus, cursing me to slay the drakon everyday for the rest of my life.”
On cue, a drakon roar reverberates between the walls. Damasen casts a dark look to the outside of the hut and immediately springs into action.
You and Jungkook watch dumbfoundedly as Damasen slays the enormous creature and walks to the hut like returning from a walk in the park.
“Damasen, you’re amazing,” you express in awe, to which Damasen shrugs.
“You demigods may rest on the hammock. You both look awful. We can continue this conversation once you wake,” he says, pointing towards a hammock made from drakon skin in the corner. 
Jungkook wants to protest, feeling unsafe about sleeping vulnerable in the presence of a giant, but he’s too tired to process anything. 
He plops onto the hammock, welcoming you with open arms as you both sink into the sheets, falling into a restful slumber after the most difficult hours of your life.
Jungkook wakes first, eyes blinking groggily as his eyes venture towards you, sleeping peacefully in the crook of his armpit. Careful not to wake you up, he gently lifts your head with his palm and gently places it against a pillow before standing from the hammock.
Damasen sits on the kitchen table, structured from Drakon bone, reading a Guide to the Underworld by Persephone and Demeter, a book that must have blown into the pit of Tartarus.
He takes a seat by Damasen. “Sir, we need you to lead us towards the Doors of Death.”
The Doors of Death stood as the sole gateway to the mortal realm. Gaia and her giants had seized control of these doors, enabling monsters to surge back into the mortal world with alarming speed. You and Jungkook had to enter the mortal realm through the Doors of Death, sealing it off from Tartarus’s side while the rest of the crew would work on closing the doors from the Earthly side.  
Damasen shakes his head, and Jungkook becomes slightly intimidated. This giant was designed to kill his father, the most fierce warrior amongst the Olympians. Though Damasen claimed a life of peace, what  if he changed his mind? Damasen could crush Jungkook with his bare fists. 
 “Son of Ares, I already told you that I chose to leave a life of peace. I do not wish to involve myself with pointless affairs.”
Jungkook grimaces, taking a knee on the concrete floor, a sign of respect for the Greeks “Sir, please. I’d do anything. We won’t survive without your guidance.”
Damasen lifts his gaze from the book to Jungkook, seemingly trapped in intense contemplation. “There is one thing you can do.”
“Whatever you need, I’ll try my best to do it for you,” Jungkook implores.
“My pocket knife,” Damasen responds, “It was the only belonging I carried from the mortal realm. The drakon knocked it into the River Phlegethon, and it’s been sitting at the bottom since. The child of Hephaestus can retrieve it for me.”
“No-”
“I’ll do it,” you declare, sitting up from the hammock.
Jungkook cuts you off immediately. “Sir, is there anything else I can do? I don’t want to put her in danger.”
Damasen shrugs, “That’s all I can think of. I’ll let you know if I come up with anything else.”
You shake your head, joining Jungkook and Damasen at the kitchen table, sitting on one of the drakon bone chairs. “I can do it. I’m immune to fire.”
Jungkook glares at you, and you respond with an even more fierce glare. Damasen, studying the dynamic between you and Jungkook, releases a sigh. “Child, does your father know about your relationship with this son of Ares? I imagine Hephaestus won’t find that very favorable.”
You stick out your hand, partially ignoring Damasen’s comment about Jungkook. Damasen uses his pointer finger and thumb to shake your hand. 
“Call me Y/N. If I retrieve the pocket knife from the River Phlegethon, join us on our quest. You can return to the mortal world and work as a farmer on Camp Half-Blood. We’re looking for a manager for our strawberry fields.”
Damasen shakes his head, “Your efforts would be futile. Even if I tried to leave, we would walk endlessly until returning to this hut.”
“Damasen,” you implore, “You deserve so much more than this. You deserve to see the stars, the sky, the moon. We need you.”
“If you retrieve the knife, I will guide you towards the Doors of Death. I will not be able to provide assistance beyond that,” he stubbornly responds, refusing to change his stance. 
You don’t realize you’re holding your breath until you exhale. “Okay. Where’s the knife?”
Jungkook scowls deeply at you. “Y/N. It’s dangerous. We can do this a different way.” He redirects his attention towards Damasen. “Anything else. Just let me know, anything that a son of Ares can do, I will do.”
“You already killed Lamia. At the very least, I can do this. I’m immune to fire, I’ll be able to survive at least 5 minutes in the river, and I can come back up to the surface if I need to.”
Jungkook shakes his head, “No. You’re not doing it.”
You frown deeply at him. “What, so you think I’m too weak to contribute to the quest?”
“What? No- that’s not what I’m saying. I just want you to be safe.”
You place both palms on his shoulders, looking at him straight in the eyes. “Jungkook,” you declare firmly, “Drop the Prince Charming complex. We’re in Tartarus. I wouldn’t try if I knew I couldn’t do it.”
Leaving him dumbfounded, you face Damasen. “Lead the way. I’m ready to jump in when you are.”
Jungkook clears his throat. “Damasen, give us a moment to discuss. Please.” He pulls you by your wrist to a corner of the drakon bone hut. You’re not necessarily secluded and Damasen catches heed to every word. 
Jungkook shifts uncomfortably. “You’re sure you can do it? You’ve never walked into a fire, let alone swam in one.”
You dismiss the notion with a wave. “I have. I saved some mortals from a house fire last summer. At the very least I can do five minutes- maybe ten if I try hard enough.”
Jungkook eyes you suspiciously, but you refuse to relent on your stoicism. Of course, you’re lying, but Jungkook doesn’t need to know that.
“Fine,” Jungkook relents, “But you’re making a silicone harness, with a fire-proof string, and I’m pulling you out after three minutes,” he compromises, features hardening. 
That’s all you’re getting, and you are going to take it if it means getting this over with more quickly.
“Damasen, if you give us a minute, I’m going to construct a makeshift breathing apparatus. Jungkook, I won’t make a harness, but I can tie a string around my waist. Pull me out after three minutes.”
You begin pulling things from your toolbelt, leaving Damasen to marvel at it. “Hephaestus technology, huh?” he beckons, “Your father must love you a lot to provide you with something like this.”
You shrug, “I guess. Man doesn’t talk to me much. It’s whatever,” you respond, quickly brushing off the topic as your hands quickly assemble a makeshift breathing apparatus from titanium alloys, ceramic composites, and rubber seals. 
-
Anyways, without delving too much into the details of yours and Jungkook’s excursion to Tartarus, you can safely claim you and Jungkook soundly escaped Tartarus.
Damasen was not so lucky.
That didn’t mean, however, that you and Jungkook weren’t on the brink of death when you narrowly escaped Tartarus through the Doors of Death.
Writhing on the floor, you vaguely remember Taehyung whisking you in his arms, willing the water from the surrounding lakes to form a wave, carrying himself back to the ship. 
Meanwhile,  Mingyu, son of Jupiter, soared through the air carrying an unconscious Jungkook from the crooks of his armpits.
You and Jungkook must have laid idle for quite a while in the ship’s corridors, and your friends, in their infinitely loyal nature, sat by your bedside for the entire time. 
Rose, daughter of Apollo and one of the demigods on the quest, remained by your side throughout, using her most powerful healing properties to save you from returning to the Underworld as a dead spirit. 
Her voice was the very first thing you heard when you woke up.
“Gods Taehyung, you fucking idiot, don’t pour more than half of a cup of nectar into the canteen! It needs to stay refrigerated!”
“Damn doctor- I’m trying my best here!”
You blink groggily, closing your eyes shut at the sunlight seeping through your eyelids like you have a sun allergy.
“Rosie?” you breathlessly express.
Rose drops nearly spills the canteen of nectar onto her pretty dress and whips her head towards you.
“Praise the gods, Y/N!” she squeals, reaching out to embrace you before she rapidly recoils her arms, “Oh shit, I don’t want to hurt you, but Gods Y/N, I’m so fucking happy you’re awake!”
You shake your head, sitting up on the bed, allowing Rose to cup your cheeks and rest her forehead on yours. 
“‘m fine Rosie, I feel brand new,” you mumble, and she finally reaches her arms out to tightly embrace you, tears of relief streaming down her face, soiling the fabric of your T-shirt.
“Gods Rosie, are you crying?” you express, a teasing giggle leaving your lips.
She playfully swats at your shoulder, “Yes Y/N, I’m fucking crying! I was worried sick! You fell into freaking Tartarus for Gods’ sake! We were so worried that you wouldn’t make it back, and to just-to just- to just see that you and Jungkook are okay- Gods, I’m so happy!”
The sounds of more cries echo across the walls, and you lift your head from Rose’s shoulder, blinking like you might be hallucinating because  Taehyung is sobbing, like actual tears streaming down his face.
You don’t think you’ve seen him cry since you were 14, during the Battle of the Labyrinth.
And as much as you want to make a teasing comment, you know you shouldn’t encourage his toxic masculinity any further.
He’s using his large palms to wipe the snot seeping out of his nostrils, and you and Rose simply look at each other, not knowing what to do or say. 
Should you comfort him? Should you say something? 
“I need to pee,” is all you muster in response. 
Rose laughs, rising up, wiping her palms on her jeans. “Want me to come along?”
“Duh.”
At that moment, you feel a large palm wrap around the circumference of your wrist. 
“Don’t go,” is all Jungkook mumbles, resting his forearm on his eyes to shield himself from the sun. He opens a single eye, and you feel your heart skip a beat- the sun is perfectly reflecting off Jungkook’s skin, making his brown irises appear the prettiest shade of hazel, and he’s looking at you so needily you wish you could  stay with him forever.
He tightens his hold on your wrist, pulling you towards him- you resist slightly so he doesn’t pull you on top of him in front of everyone. “Shit baby, we made it. It’s you and me inferno princess, the only demigods to survive Tartarus.”
And with that, the hand on your wrist moves to the back of your head, and he pulls your lips toward his, kissing you deeply like you were made of the sweetest nectar. You’re a bit taken aback, but you kiss him back just as passionately, eyes shutting in relief because Jungkook is okay.
He almost died several times in Tartarus protecting you. He laid his life down to save yours, and Gods, you hate to admit it but Jungkook is your handsome warrior, your Prince Charming, your man.
You would do anything for him.
You only pull away from each other when the sound of a canteen clatters on the floor. 
“Apollo’s Arrows!” Rosie backs away, nearly toppling over a nearby chair, a palm clasped over her mouth, “What happened in Tartarus?”
“What the fuck, Jeon!!” Mingyu gasps. 
Your head whips to your left, and the rest of the crew is standing in the doorway. Namjoon, Mina, and Mingyu are gaping at you, meaning that the entire crew witnessed the kiss. 
“Surprise..?” you squeak.
Mina, daughter of the Roman goddess Venus, quite literally leaps onto the bed, enveloping you in the tightest hug she’s ever bestowed. “I knew it! I swear, my mom told me you two were designed for each other in a dream! Gods, is Jungkook the first guy you didn’t reject?”
Your cheeks flush at that. 
The goddess of love herself claimed that you and Jungkook were designed for each other? Did the fates also weave this into their tapestries?
Jungkook raises a brow. “How many other guys did you reject?”
Mina squeals, “Jeon you wouldn’t believe it- I’ve got a whole list right here, lemme just pull it out-”
Namjoon walks over, placing a soft hand on Mina’s back. He looks up, addressing you and Jungkook. “I’m happy for you lovebirds, but if you’re all healed, we need you guys back up on the deck. We’re sailing into the Sea of Monsters.”
Taehyung stands,  the sclera of his eyes fading from a bloodshot red to a crimson pink. He and Jungkook exchange knowing glances, and Taehyung approaches, offering Jungkook a handshake, (or a dap?), to which Jungkook obliges before Taehyung reaches into his pocket for his pen. 
He puts it on display, holding it between his pointer and thumb, biting his lower lip in jubilation, a smirk spreading across his lips. 
He pushes past everybody, shoots up the stairs, leaving the rest of the crew to only perceive the sound of Taehyung’s pen clicking and transforming into a sexy Celestial Bronze sword. 
Jungkook stands, twisting his neck around to ease tension before he leans down to place a brief, but sweet kiss on your lips. “Gotta go babe, get some more rest.”
And with that, Jungkook disappears into the corridors, Namjoon following his lead. 
Mina and Rose join you on the bed, the three of you sitting in bestie formation. 
“Firstly,” Mina begins, “Are you okay? Gods Y/N, you survived fucking Tartarus.”
You nod, recalling everything that had happened in the pit, from your experiences with Lamia to deep diving into the River Phlegethon. “It hasn’t hit me yet,” you murmur, “but I guess that’ll have to wait until after we finally get rid of Gaia.”
Rose and Mina wrap you in a hug, their love and friendship seeping into you, and the feeling is tangible, so you allow yourself to melt into their embrace. A hug. A hug from your best girl friends is all you need right now.
They pull away, and with a giggle, Rose asks “So what happened with you and Jeon? Don’t tell me you lost your virginity in Tartarus-”
The sound of someone clearing their throat cuts Rosie off, and the three of you immediately whip your heads towards Mingyu, son of Jupiter, who had apparently been there the entire time. 
He’s leaning against the doorway, the hilt of his Imperial Gold sword sticking up from the scabbard hooked to his belt.
“He’s been here the whole time?” Mina deadpans to which Mingyu scoffs and shakes his head, taking a seat on the wheely chair by the bed. 
“Daughters of Venus, Apollo, and Hephaestus, and none of you could detect the presence of another demigod?” he teases. 
“Ugh whatever,” Mina muses, “It’s just because your energy is too weak. Not much to detect anyways”.
Looks like it’s just Mingyu and the girlies.
Or one Greek demigod with three Roman demigods, 
Or just four distant relatives through their godly parents just hanging around (except godly DNA wasn’t really a thing).
Mingyu dismisses her claim with a wave of his hand before rolling over to give you a side hug, “I’m glad you’re safe Y/N, and I’m happy you and Jungkook found each other. At least one good thing came from this.”
You blush, thanking Mingyu.
“That guy is like head over heels for you, he looks like he could take a giant on by himself for you,” he teases, to which Mina nods enthusiastically. 
“Oh yea Y/N, anybody could tell that Jungkook had a thing for you- you were probably the only  one who didn’t know,” Rose agrees.
That makes you redden. You rewind all your previous interactions with Jungkook like a cassette, regurgitating anything that could possibly be interpreted as romantic, but nope, nothing arises. 
You pause, thinking back to your quest with Lamia at 14. 
Jungkook was so adamant to go on that quest, and you always assumed it was because of his obsession with winning. He wanted to claim the fame and glory that came with completing a quest. He had the time of his life killing ferocious monsters and he could make his dad proud while stroking his own ego. 
Quite honestly, it never occurred to you that he accompanied you on all these quests because he liked you. 
You open your mouth to say something, but the wretched growls and howls of a sea monster cut you off. The upper deck shakes, rubble from the roof falling onto the ground.
You four give each other knowing looks and bolt up the stairs. 
-
The next two weeks on ships were the most cathartic weeks of Jungkook’s life. 
He takes every chance he can  romance you, savoring what could have been the past five years. Needless to say, Jungkook  is madly in love.
It was the middle of the night, and the sound of your alarm blared in your ears. That meant you were needed for duty on the upper deck.
All members of the crew took turns guarding the upper deck to protect the ship against sea monsters, wind spirits, and any other murder-inducing apparatuses. With a yawn you stumble towards the bathroom, quickling washing up before heading towards the stairs. 
Mingyu and Namjoon are leaning against the railings of the ship, appearing like literal death after being on guard for eight hours. You nod at both of them and Namjoon gives you a brief hug before disappearing down the stairs.
You head towards the figurehead, peering at the endless sea and the large crescent moon as you let the wind blow in your face like Rose from Titanic. 
Lost in your thoughts, you squeal when a hoodie-clad Jungkook sneaks up behind you and snakes his arms around your waist. He rests his head in the crook of your neck, making the gesture to sniff deeply, which gets him an elbow in the abs. 
“Such a barbarian, Kook,” you murmur. 
“What? I love your B.O,” he teases. 
Disgusting. He’s so gross. So disgusting, and you are disgustingly in love with him. 
You swirl around, leaning on the edge of the ship to face him so you can cup his face and sweetly kiss him. You love the texture of his tan skin- much more keratinized than yours- the calluses on his hands and the rough texture on his face somehow makes you feel safe in a weird dermatologist way. 
This time, Jungkook doesn’t kiss back, just keeps his eyes open so he can admire you, laughing a bit when you pull away from him.
You bite your lip, crimsoning to the shade of Cupid’s bum. “What?” you pout. 
Jungkook shrugs, eyes never averting from yours. “Nothing,” he replies nonchalantly, “You’re particularly lovely tonight.” And he means it. 
Under the moonlight, you become more mesmerizing. The night sky and chilly breeze sets the ambiance perfectly. If Jungkook could, he would park the ship by a nearby island and take you on a picnic date by the shore. 
You don’t feel lovely- you’re exhausted and quite honestly you kinda want to die but Jungkook never fails to see the beauty in your impurities. 
“You should get some rest. You were on guard for like eight hours today” you respond softly. His eyes, though filled with love, are tired with dark circles beneath, and you immediately become concerned for the well being of the man.
He grins, his pupils following your every movement and you don’t realize that Jungkook is slowly inching towards you. You look worried out of your mind and he can’t even take you seriously, thinking you’re the most precious thing in the world. “Did you even sleep? And you’re on guard next,” you beckon.
He looks at you like you’re crazy, scoffing playfully with a hand on his heart. “Babygirl thinks I can’t handle being up for more than twenty four hours? ‘m not a boy anymore, I’m a grown ass man.”
“A grown ass man that needs to sleep,” you point out, gaze hardening. 
Jungkook pouts at that, arms sneaking around you as he pulls you closer. “I wanna be with my girl. Send me back to Tartarus if that’s so evil.”
You rake your fingertips through his hair, shaking your head while you laugh at his comment. “And I want my handsome boyfriend to get sleep so he can be his best when he’s on guard duty.”
He lowers his head and whines into the crook of your neck, nibbling on the skin in retaliation. 
“After your guard duty today,” you whisper, “Come by my room. We can spend the night together,” your voice in itself makes Jungkook freeze. You sound so alluring, and Jungkook can’t help but fall victim to your seduction. 
Greek heroes were known to have fatal flaws: tragic downfalls that led to their bitter demise in all the classics. Hercules’ fatal flaw was impulsivity. Achilles' fatal flaw was his arrogance. Jungkook thinks that his fatal flaw is you. He’d burn the whole world if it meant you were okay.
He pulls away, somewhat surprised while he scans your face for any hint of unseriousness. “Okay,” Jungkook acquiesces, “But call me if you need anything.” With another brief kiss, he turns around and stalks back to his cabin.
-
For the past five minutes, you’ve been sitting at your desk. A sewing machine from your tool belt is placed in front of you, and you must be out of your mind because you’re actually sewing black lace lingerie. 
Of course a daughter of Hephaestus can engineer and sew.
Staring at your reflection in the mirror, you compare the fabric with your body to ensure the lingerie looks as appealing as possible. 
You think you look good but you can’t help the self conscious thoughts seeping into your mind, and thus you resist the urge to smash your head into the sewing machine. 
You briefly consider throwing the scraps of fabric into the trash can and pretending this never happened, but at the very least, you should see the lingerie through before deciding to go through with it. 
You don’t know what it is, but you are aware that you have some twisted fantasy in the deepest trenches of your heart about seducing your man, a sultry look in your eyes as you beckon him towards you before smothering your body in every crevice of his. 
You want him to be enamored with you; you want him to be mesmerized beyond comprehension, and you want to give yourself to him completely. 
Gods, this was a dark thought but you and Jungkook were on a dangerous, life-threatening quest. Who knows when either of you will meet your treacherous demise? You might as well adopt the whole fuck it, we’re going to die anyway philosophy and carry out the little silly adventures you’ve dreamt of, especially while you’re alive. 
You slide the lingerie and look at yourself in the mirror- you don’t even recognize yourself. 
You must be out of your mind.
-
Jungkook suffers through a long eight hours of waiting around on the upper deck, slaughtering sea monsters, negotiating with Greek guardians, and killing the occasional goddess.
He knows he shouldn’t be distracted during a quest, but he can’t help but visualize your face every time he closes his eyes. Jungkook’s had a crush on you ever since you were 10 and a decade later it stubbornly refused to fade.
He is alright with that.
If anything, he should be thanking Aphrodite for finally letting you and him happen because he has more of a reason to fight- more of a reason to conquer.
For you. It was all for you.
He’s pulled from his trance by the footsteps of Mina and Taehyung, meaning that it was their turn for guard duty and his shift was up. Jungkook bites his lips to hide the smile of ecstasy threatening to swallow his  entire face, and he realizes he must be ass at hiding his expression because Mina eyes him with pure suspicion.
He doesn’t care.
He zooms down the stairs, whizzing through the hallways before stopping at your door. He takes a deep breath, wiping off the dust from his clothes. He probably smells, but that’s okay. What nerd even has time to shower on a quest to save the world? 
Opening the door, the softest gasp leaves his lips.
His hands fumble the Celestial Bronze knife in his grasp, and it falls to the ground with a clack clack clack. 
Jungkook is starstruck, and he inhales shakily before he kicks the celestial knife to the side before swiveling around, ensuring no one was peering through the cracks before he closes the door behind him.
The room is decorated with candles, and no matter how the ship heaves and hoes, the candles remain in place, their flames still shining brightly and swaying with the movement of the shop.
Thank gods he’s dating a Hephaestus girl who can do freaky things like mechanically engineer non-flammable, non-movable candles that still retain the sultry ambiance of a normal candle.
He licks his lips.
In the middle of the bed, surrounded by rose petals sits you, in sheer black lace lingerie, staring at him innocently like you haven’t a clue how you’re twisting and turning his insides.
The lingerie fits you perfectly, accentuating every line and curve on your body and Jungkook truly truly thinks that you’re more beautiful than Aphrodite herself.
“Hey, Kook,” you whisper and Jungkook thinks he’s going to have a heart attack because he’s heard your voice millions of times but still thinks it sounds so sweet, beckoning him over to you.
He gulps. 
What a woman you are.
“And before you ask, I engineered the door to only open for you,” you giggle, watching Jungkook as his fingers tousle with the upper hem of his shirt, throwing it off to reveal his Greek-god build. Before he gets to the bed, he tumbles out of his sweatpants, leaving them on the floor- not even thinking. His mind is only on you.
He doesn’t say anything, and he knows damn well that a stupid door isn’t what he’s thinking about. He reaches the bed, crawls to you, and with his knees on the bed, he lifts you like you’re nothing as he holds your body from your waist as he kisses you.
He kiss kisses you, his tongue in your mouth, moaning because you taste sweeter than you usually do- and he’s not sure if it’s because of the show you’ve put on for him, or because he’s falling more in love with you everyday. 
The skin to skin contact is more real than ever. You’re so close that there isn’t a gap between your stomachs. All he can feel is you and the texture of your lace lingerie, and he absolutely melts into the feeling of you. 
He groans.
That night, he gives himself to you completely because he belongs to you.
He remembers the whole thing so vividly. 
On top of you, his eyes were lidded and his vision was blurred from the pleasure seeping throughout his body, sending chills down his spine, but he still refused to look away from you.
He remembers how beautiful you were underneath him, moaning his name and telling him you loved him.
With every thrust of his hips, his vision became more blurred- perhaps from the pleasure or because he was crying, vision clouded by tears because he’s so in love, and he never wants to lose you. The fire from the candles seems to burn more intensely, and when he reaches climax, the dreamy haze of you- your body and face- beneath the glow of the candles is all he sees. 
While the fire from that night set his heart ablaze, it was also your very flames that charred his heart to a crisp, leaving Jungkook as nothing but an empty shell of his former self. 
Exactly one week later, you died.
You, Jungkook, and Mingyu soared thousands of feet above Camp Half-Blood. The claws of your mechanical dragon Pulchra tousled with the physical form of the evil Earth mother herself: Gaia. You sat on your dragon, directing her to ascend higher and higher.
Mingyu, son of Jupiter, who was equipped with handy dandy flying skills, held Jungkook as he followed in pursuit of your dragon. As he darted through the clouds, Jungkook delivered fatal blows to the Earth mother.  
Since Jungkook returned from Tartarus, he and Mingyu had been preparing a strategy to kill Gaia for good. 
Gaia was the mother of the Earth, so taking away from her playing field and to the skies provided Jungkook and Mingyu with an advantage. 
Mingyu, harnessing the power of the tempests, would conjure a storm, disorienting Gaia with lightning and wind. Jungkook would deliver the final blow with the spear of Ares- the same spear you retrieved from the Hephaestion, and the same spear Ares used to kill Alcyeoneus in the original Titan war. 
But before Mingyu had the chance to summon a gust of wind, you used your flame manipulation to morph into a ball of fire to incinerate Gaia to death, engulfing Gaia and yourself in fire before blasting away like a meteor, leaving a trail of fiery residue in your wake. 
That marked the final glimpse Jungkook saw of you.
Gaia’s death meant the successful completion of the quest, and Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter erupted into cheers at the demise of the evil Earth mother. Mingyu and Jungkook, on the other hand, were in shock as they remained stagnant in the atmosphere, watching the fiery residue simmer into nothingness. 
Mingyu touches down softly on the earth,  and Jungkook stumbles on the ground, falling to his knees.  Campers from both Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter roar with excitement, welcoming both men with jubilation.
Jungkook is unable to move, palms and knees still planted onto the ground, grappling with the weight of what he just witnessed. The cheers seem distant, drowned out by the echo of your fiery departure. Jungkook, typically fierce and resilient, allows panic to infiltrate his being, and it isn’t until Rose pushes past the crowd and falls to her knees, her palms desperately shaking Jungkook’s shoulders. “Where’s Y/N? Jungkook?! Where the fuck is Y/N?”
Unable to conjure a response, Jungkook opens and closes his mouth, desperately scanning Rosie’s face for a hint of jest- like Oh! Just kidding! Y/N is right here!- but she’s not kidding, her hardened features indicative that nothing could ever be more serious. 
Jungkook's agony manifests in a heart-wrenching scream, tears streaming down his face as he  bangs his fists into the ground. 
Rosie’s face drops and she clasps a palm over her lips. At that moment, Taehyung, Mina, and Namjoon push through the crowd, frantically scanning through the waves of people for you. Taehyung’s face turns grim at the sight of Jungkook sobbing into the ground, and Namjoon starts crying. 
The cheers from the campers dwindle into silence. 
"Legions, to the West! Each camper is to conduct a thorough search for Y/N. Mobilize all pegasi, airplanes, and flying apparatuses immediately!" Mingyu roars, and the camps erupt into a panic, fleeing into different directions to prepare for a comprehensive search. 
After 24 hours of hunting, you never appear. 
Jennie, daughter of Hades, confirms your death, and Jungkook’s heart plummets to his stomach. 
-
The atmosphere at Camp Half-Blood is heavy with sorrow as campers of both Roman and Greek gather at the foot of Half-Blood Hill.
In the center of a clearing, a makeshift altar is erected, adorned with offerings and mementos that speak of the adventures and camaraderie you share with the camp. Symbols are scattered for each quest you successfully complete. Copies of your favorite books litter the ground, along with your favorite foods, figurines of your favorite anime characters, and prototypes of weapons and trinkets you engineer.
Each camper is presented a red bead adorned with the emblem of a flame to celebrate the daughter of Hephaestus that shines so brightly. The bead is intended to be threaded onto the necklaces worn by all Camp Half-Blood members, each bead representing a year spent at camp.
“Today, we gather not only to mourn the loss of a brave demigod but to celebrate a hero whose legacy will forever echo through the boundaries of this camp,” Chiron’s voice resonates with a mix of sadness and reverence.
As Chiron speaks, campers take turns sharing anecdotes of your courage, weaving a tapestry of memories that paint a vivid impact you have on those around you.
In Mingyu's embrace, Rose weeps openly, her tears flowing freely as Mina recollects the adventures the three girls embarked upon the quest to defeat Gaia. Tales unfold—of mastering swordplay, battling sea monsters, concocting healing potions, and dedicating free time to handcraft makeup and serums.
Mingyu is next, clearing his throat before he awkwardly retells stories of meeting you for the first time. Mingyu, son of the Roman god Jupiter, appeared at Camp Half-Blood randomly after having his memory wiped.
Most approached Mingyu with hostility while you and Namjoon welcomed him with kindness, showing him around camp and becoming his friend. Mingyu shares the tale of your and his encounter with Hercules on an island before entering Greece—a confrontation that angered Hercules and ended with him buried under a mound of macaroni (a lengthy tale). Mingyu sheds a tear before closing off, and to be quite honest, he still bears the weight of witnessing your death and not intervening. It would haunt him forever.
Jaehyun, son of Apollo and your first kiss, is up next. In a heartfelt moment, he openly declares his love for you in front of everyone, and while he has every right to mourn and grieve in a way that works for him, the few that know about you and Jungkook shift in discomfort.
No one utters a word about your blooming relationship with Jungkook, and unless Jungkook explicitly tells them to, their lips remain sealed.
Love is a beautiful thing. At times, some find themselves so enamored with another that they become compelled to openly declare and proclaim their love to the whole world. Arguably, an intimate, more private love is even more ideal. Loving someone discreetly creates an intimate connection known only to someone and their love, completely unburdened by the need for external validation, and that’s the type of love Jungkook intends to share with you.
Once Jaehyun sits down, the echo of Taehyung’s stomp captures the attention of all the campers.
“Y/N’s not dead,” Taehyung claims, “and I know she’s not.”
Namjoon eyes his friend with daggers in his pupils, but Taehyung refuses to relent.
“I’ve been best friends with Y/N since we were 12,” he seethes, “I would sense it if she were dead- so respectfully, we need to stop moping around and we have to find her.”
“Tae,” Jennie, daughter of Hades, rises and places a soothing hand on his back, “I sensed her death. I’m sorry, but she’s gone.”
Taehyung shakes his head and brushes Jennie’s hand away. “I don’t give a fuck. Y/N is alive.”
In a rage of anger, Namjoon stands up and strikes Taehyung in the face. “Taehyung! Sit down. You’re tarnishing Y/N’s image and causing more pain for everyone here with your delusions. Y/N is in Elysium, and she’s at peace. Let her rest in peace.”
Chiron clears his throat and approaches the boys. “That’s true. She served well. Y/N has been on quests since she was 11. She was a diligent soldier. She deserves rest.”
Taehyung, clutching his face where Namjoon hit him, remains calm and shakes his head. “I would agree if she were actually dead, but she’s not. Isn’t that right Jungkook? Don’t you feel it?”
Jungkook, who has maintained a solemn silence until this moment, lifts his head from his hands. His gaze sweeps over the assembly of campers, then shifts to the shrine erected in your memory, finally locking eyes with Taehyung. Despite his swollen and puffy eyes, Jungkook stands, drawing his sword. "One hour. In sixty minutes, I’m leaving on a quest to find Y/N. Join me if you want or stay if you genuinely believe she's gone. We'll reconvene here. Pack your shit. This journey may take a while."
And you would think that a quest involving the strongest Roman and Greek demigods would lead to something, but it was like you never existed- every trace of you was gone. 
The crew had a small glimmer of hope when they came across a piece of scrap metal from your mechanical dragon, Pulchra, drifting in the Atlantic ocean, but it led to nothing. 
Jungkook scoured the entire world, yet you were gone, gone without a trace.
-
In the aftermath of the tragedy, Jungkook secludes himself, grappling with the guilt and pain of not being able to save you.
He leaves Camp Half-Blood for good, moving halfway across the world to Korea to live with his mother and pursue mortal education.
Typically, the whole mantra is Demigods have to stay in Camp Half-Blood to protect themselves from monsters!1!! But Jungkook, 20 years old and the strongest Greek demigod alive, doesn’t have any issue with that. Without a moment's hesitation, he ruthlessly eliminates any monster, adversary, or demon that dares to approach him.
Once, while Jungkook is hanging up his mother’s wet clothes on a clothing line, a hydra approaches the granny neighbors living below him. He doesn’t know what the mortals see - maybe a gigantic husky - but his granny neighbors living below him are scared nonetheless, screaming while the hydra squares them up.
Jungkook encountered a hydra on the quest of the Eternal Night when he was 14 - the key was to not cut off any of the hydra’s heads because it would only grow more. Instead, he hopped down a whole story and used his celestial bronze knife, the same one you crafted, to cut the hydra from its lower calf, causing the monster to crumble into dust.
Following that incident, his granny neighbors were likely even more frightened of him than the hydra, but he truly, truly could not bring himself to care.
He no longer even enjoys killing monsters; his fiery soul and obsession with combat faded into nothing but emptiness.
Jungkook is empty. So, so empty. He hates the gods and refuses to speak to his father, despite countless attempts from Ares to reach out to him.
Instead, he immerses himself in a hedonistic mortal lifestyle. His Harley-Davidson motorcycle is still a familiar sight, roaring through the streets to bars in Seoul, clubs in Itaewon, and occasionally cruising along the coastal beaches of Busan.
It takes him some time to fully embrace the hookup culture, but one drunken night at a bar leads him down the path of one-night-stands and sneaking away in the middle of the night. The first girl, whose name he can't recall, is attractive and makes the first move. With nothing to lose, and alcohol in his system, he goes to hers.
It's okay. It isn’t anything special, but he finds himself unable to finish, and on the journey home, a sense of self-disgust washes over him.
On a chilly December night, Jungkook finds himself at Cakeshop, a nightclub in Itaewon. Around winter, Mina, who is visiting family in Japan, decides to pay Jungkook a visit and accompanies him to the club for a few drinks and a night out.
Of course, Jungkook is delighted to see an old friend, no matter how horrible his condition was the last time he saw her. He takes her out to a few meals and rents out the neighboring flat for her.
Amidst the lively chatter and laughter, the duo enjoys a few drinks, exchanging stories and catching up on the time they spent apart. As the night unfolds, they explore the different sections of the club, from the energetic dance floor to the cozy lounges, where they sit continuing their conversation.
Mina tells Jungkook stories from Camp Jupiter — how she has risen through the ranks and been promoted as Praetor of the Roman legion, and Jungkook is genuinely happy to hear it.
Gasps resonate throughout the lounge, and when Mina and Jungkook turn their heads in the direction of the commotion, their faces drop. The most facially aesthetic woman he’s ever seen gracefully maneuvers through the crowd, prompting the masses to part like the Red Sea.
Her gaze fixes on Mina and Jungkook, and without any invitation, she assertively joins them in the lounge. Seating herself directly across from them, her presence transforms the lounge into an exclusive VIP area. Security personnel, clad in sleek black suits, swiftly cordon off the lounge from public access, blocking away any crazy men and women who try to leap at her.
“Hello Mina, dear. You look lovely tonight,” the woman says, pulling lip gloss from her clutch purse and reapplying it to her lips. Mina sneers at the woman, but she doesn’t seem to notice or care because the woman immediately redirects her attention to Jungkook.
Aphrodite.
“Jungkook, dear, I need to talk to you,” she states, voice becoming rigidly serious.
Jungkook and Mina exchange looks, the disdain in her eyes appearing like she wants to leave and Jungkook nearly obliges because he certainly isn’t the biggest fan of the goddess either.
“You need to talk to your father,” she solicits, not even having the decency to look at Jungkook while she addresses him, her eyes focused on the compact mirror in her manicured hands.
Aphrodite was arguably one of the cruelest goddesses, even more so than Jungkook's father, Ares. Love and war work in tandem, but love is the subtle dagger concealed in a silk glove. Aphrodite's influence wasn't just about the sweet intoxication of romance; it was a weapon, a potent brew of desire that she skillfully wielded to manipulate the hearts of both gods and mortals.
And she won. Jungkook let Aphrodite win because he was so tired, so defeated.She allowed Jungkook to be with his love for three mere weeks before ripping her from him in the most horrific way.
“Respectfully, fuck you.” Jungkook stands, preparing to leave when a piercing glare from Aphrodite halts him in his tracks, instantly enveloping the entire room in an eerie stillness, stopping time. 
“Jungkook, dear,” she repeats, her voice more menacing, "You're well aware of the consequences when demigods show disrespect to gods. It weakens us, and the delicate balance of the world hangs in jeopardy. Considering that your father, a god, is desperately trying to connect with you, you currently hold a position of advantage. I recommend you take a seat and engage in a conversation before that advantage slips away."
Jungkook grimaces, exchanging worried glances with Mina before sitting down and placing his palms on the table. 
“What is it?”
“Your father wants to speak with you,” she begins, “and he’s heartbroken that you won’t give him the chance for a conversation. I can’t deal with a heartbroken boyfriend, it’s affecting our relationship.”
“Mom, that’s selfish,” Mina intervenes, “Jungkook’s been through enough, and you came all the way here just for that?”
Aphrodite’s features soften, and she looks at her daughter sadly. “That’s not all. Jungkook needs to return to Camp Half-Blood,” she adds, to which Jungkook shakes his head. 
“I’ll talk to Ares, but I’m not ready to return- not yet,” he grimaces. 
“Jungkook,” Aphrodite places a palm on top of Jungkook’s, “I understand how you feel. I truly do. You loved Y/N, and the way you felt for her- it was of the utmost honor.  But Jungkook, your friends need you. Though Gaia is deceased, the battle isn’t over. Remnants of her children remain, and Flame Warden has overtaken my husband Hephaestus’s forge in Mount Olympus.”
Hephaestus. 
Jungkook inwardly recoils at the mention of your father, Hephaestus, and he cringes that Aphrodite is claiming Hephaestus as her husband, even after her ongoing affair with Jungkook’s own father. 
“Hephaestus,” Jungkook says, “Does he- does he even care that Y/N is dead?” Jungkook whispers, eyes reflecting despondency. 
Aphrodite softens infinitely. “Of course he does, sweetie. As you're aware, it goes beyond the cosmic structure for gods to nurture connections with their demigod offspring. Hephaestus bears numerous regrets, and even rescuing Y/N was beyond his capacity. His disheartenment led to the infiltration of his ember forge- he hasn’t been the same since Y/N died.”
Jungkook glowers at that, pulling his hand from Aphrodite’s. “So the forge you’re referring to- is it the same forge where Celestial Bronze is created?”
Aphrodite nods. “Now that the Ember Forge has been breached, the Hermes Express faces a disruption in delivering celestial bronze to Camp Half-Blood and the Cyclops' forges. The demigods at Camp Half-Blood are currently unable to craft weapons. As we enter the Golden Era of Demigods, celestial bronze is crucial for arming ourselves and defending against the threat of monsters. As you're aware, the collaboration of a god and a demigod is essential to defeating a giant. Jungkook, your assistance is paramount; we need you.”
Jungkook’s brows furrow. “The Golden Era of Demigods?”
Aphrodite acknowledges with a nod. "Your generation, my daughter Mina, and your companions are on the brink of their 20s. In Greek and Roman history, this is an extraordinary development. Typically, demigods meet their fate in their teens, yet now, the significant strength of demigods in their 20s is unprecedented. Jungkook, we stand at a unique opportunity to eradicate the menace of monsters once and for all."
Jungkook looks down, his lip caught between his teeth. "You vowed to change your ways. The gods made promises to recognize their children and to at least talk to them," Jungkook seethes, frustration evident. "Mina’s right here, and barely a word has been spoken to her. Progress won't be made unless the gods acknowledge and take responsibility for their shortcomings."
Aphrodite frowns, “Mina doesn’t want to talk to me! Isn’t it good parenting to leave your teenage daughter alone? The gods are trying their best, Jungkook. Your father is trying his best.”
Mina places a soothing hand over Jungkook’s fist.
“Jungkook, you should go,” she expresses gently, “The Ember forge…” she trails off, “Y/N would want you to do this. Her siblings in the Hephaestus cabin need the celestial bronze. Do it for her.”
Her words plunge Jungkook into a whirlwind of memories: the moments you spent forging his Celestial Bronze knife, the way he annoyed you to hide his colossal crush on you, and how he has carried that same Celestial Bronze knife ever since. 
Aphrodite nods in agreement. “Do it for Y/N-”
Jungkook slams his fists on the table. “Don’t speak of her.”
Jungkook knows very well that Aphrodite could have obliterated him on the spot, but she showed mercy by smiling and nodding at Jungkook. 
“Fuck it. I’m doing it. Fuck it,” Jungkook murmurs, much to Aphrodite’s delight and Mina’s satisfaction. 
-
The quest now dubbed the Quest of the Ember Forge was triumphant, and it marked the beginning of Jungkook’s return to Camp Half-Blood. 
He reimmersed himself in the camaraderie of camp life, and now that he and his friends were of age, they spent hours in the Big House drinking, reveling in their newfound adulthood. 
It brought Jungkook so much joy to see Namjoon loosen up, laughing at the stupidest jokes Taehyung made while they downed shots of soju and played Mythomagic, an old card game from their childhood. 
The laughter echoed through the room, mingling with the spirited discussions about the recent quest, reminiscences of past adventures, and plans for the future. They toasted to their victories and shared stories of their individual journeys during the time apart. 
Even Chiron, the wise centaur, couldn't resist joining in the festivities, regaling them with tales of ancient mythology and imparting wisdom in his own humorous way.
The once-burdened weight on Jungkook's shoulders lifted, replaced by a renewed sense of purpose and connection. 
For the first time in two years, Jungkook felt at peace, at home, and disallowed the plague of guilt to overwhelm him as he laughed with his friends. 
-
Jungkook resumes sword fighting in the dueling ground, becoming the sword fighting teacher for all the cabins. 
Out of all the campers, there is one kid he absolutely adores: a 13-year-old Jungwon, another sibling of Jungkook’s.
Jungkook finds himself observing Jungwon from a distance, the spark in his eyes reminiscent of a younger Jungkook. Soot covers the younger boy's face, and sweat drips from his armor like he’s been out there for hours.
“Kid!” Jungkook approaches, unsheathing his sword. He tilts his head and grins. “Care for a duel?”
Jungwon grins, raising his brows before licking his lips. If anything, Jungwon 100% emits the fiery, combat-crazed aura Jungkook is renowned for. There is no doubt in Jungkook’s mind that this kid is going to be a beast.
The dueling ground buzzes with anticipation as other campers gather to watch the showdown between the seasoned warrior and his spirited protégé. Jungkook and Jungwon circle each other, their swords catching glints of sunlight. 
With a sudden burst of energy, Jungkook lunges forward, his movements swift and precise. Jungwon, fueled by determination, meets each strike with resilience beyond his years.
In a final, calculated move, Jungkook disarms Jungwon, ending the duel with a victorious flourish. The onlookers erupt into cheers, acknowledging the mastery of their esteemed sword-fighting teacher.
Jungkook stalks over to Jungwon and helps him up before tousling his hair. “They gotta send you on a quest soon. You’re more than ready.”
Jungwon’s eyes sparkle as he addresses Jungkook. “Seriously? Can you put in a good word for me to Chiron?”
Jungkook nods, but a sudden realization overtakes him.
He doesn’t want to send Jungwon on a quest.
Jungkook's not keen on the idea of sending Jungwon on a quest, at all. Quests are rough, life-altering, and there's a chance Jungwon might not make it back in one piece. The thought of putting his younger sibling through all that hardship and potential danger sews seeds of peril into his consciousness.
On one side, there's a deep desire to shield his younger brother from harm - no way in hell would he let any monsters or giants destroy the innocent twinkle in his eyes. On the other hand, he understands that quests are an inevitable part of a demigod’s journey - it’s not like he wants Jungwon to get soft.
While Jungkook is frozen at that dawning realization, he follows Jungwon’s train of vision to a familiar face in the distance.
It's Isabella, a daughter of Hephaestus, casually strolling with her friends near the dueling arena.
He doesn’t miss the twinkle in Jungwon’s eyes and the blush flushing his cheeks as he turns his head to keep his eyes on Isabella.
Jungkook throws up that night.
-
One year later, Jungkook visits Mina, Rose, and Mingyu at Camp Jupiter to aid the Roman legion with dueling lessons. 
There, a budding romance blooms with a descendant of Apollo, Sofia. 
It’s not like Jungkook means for it to happen; he had sworn off love for the rest of his life. Yet, he couldn't ignore the way Sofia's eyes lingered on him. And when she found her way into his hotel room at night, Jungkook couldn't bring himself to ask her to leave.
-
After that trip, Sofia visits Jungkook at Camp Half-Blood. 
Sofia is now Jungkook’s girlfriend and he feels content. 
Night after night, Jungkook pays a visit to the shrine dedicated to you, a ritual of remembrance and honor. Sofia, understanding and respecting his feelings, never presses him to share the details of his relationship with you. 
Over time, as Jungkook finds solace in their growing connection, he starts bringing Sofia to join him in leaving offerings at your shrine. In those moments, a sense of closure and the gentle warmth of moving forward envelops Jungkook's heart. It’s time to move forward.
That is, until he runs into you. 
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lemonlover1110 · 1 year
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𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬
Satoru Gojo
[Chapter 3] Reunion
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Pairing: Satoru Gojo x f!Reader
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You’re shaken up when you get off the elevator and you’re not sure what to do. You have to contact his mother, but you’re sure that he’s speaking to her right this second. A million thoughts run through your head, but first you have to speak with your new boss about the fact that your son is joining you for the day; or at least until you get in contact with the nanny that can pick him up from here.
You aren’t quite sure where to go from here though. So many people are walking around and they all seem so busy, and you don’t want to bother them. You’re not sure what’s come over you right this second because bothering people has never been one of your worries. Your breath is caught up in your chest, and you wish you could be invisible. Even from the young boy that holds your hand and looks around.
You feel out of place. You’re out of place. You hear your name, and your eyes wander to find the feminine voice that said it. And when you finally see her, this wave of relief washes over you, although it doesn’t last too long.
“Shoko?” You look at the woman that puts her hand on your arm, seeing that you’re shaken up. She stares at you for a moment before her eyes go down and she sees a carbon copy of Satoru– Only that this one can’t be older than five. She can’t wrap her head around this.
“Come to my office.” She says, and you slowly nod in response before you follow behind her. When you’re in the office, your eyes fall on the giant windows that display a great view of the city. Ren's eyes do the same, and he walks over to the windows, putting his tiny hands on them. When she shuts the door she says, “So are you the woman that Mrs. Gojo hired?”
Your brain seems to have slowed down, and it takes a moment before you respond, “I am.”
But that’s not what Shoko wants to talk about. She had seen your name when Mrs. Gojo shared your information. She wants to know about the little boy that dirties her window with his handprints. She walks to her chair to take a seat, “Satoru never told me he had a kid. Or are you the nanny as well?”
“That’s not Satoru’s kid.” You lie, and she can read right through you– Even if she couldn’t, the child is a copy of Satoru’s. It’s very clearly a lie. “I’m not here to talk about that though… I’m here to– Um…”
“To get started. I’ve been waiting for you. You are late, but considering the obvious circumstances, I’ll let it slide. Plus, you’re an old friend.” Shoko responds. She points at Ren before asking, “Will he be joining us daily? Because I can’t make too many exceptions.”
“No, just today. Mrs. Gojo hired a nanny but she didn’t show up.” You answer, and Shoko’s eyebrows raise.
“So he’s not Satoru’s kid but Mrs. Gojo is his grandmother?” Shoko asks and you hesitantly nod. “Okay…”
“I don’t want– Well, we don’t want Satoru to find out about…” You tilt your head in Ren’s direction. You know he’s listening to everything, even if he doesn’t seem to be. Many questions run through Shoko’s head, but she thinks it’s better if she doesn’t ask. She’s curious, yet it’s none of her business. 
“Okay… You know he’s here, right? He sent me a message not too long ago and whatnot, and he’ll be coming here to at least greet me. If you want to keep it a secret you’ll have to–” Shoko begins and with every word you feel your stomach churn. Your heart feels as if it’s about to beat out of your chest and you have to cut her off.
“I got it, thank you.” You attempt to smile, and your nerves are reflected. You’ll send the nanny the address, and tell her to hurry up before you get Mrs. Gojo more involved than she already is. “Will you please show me to my desk? And of course, inform me of my tasks. Mrs. Gojo blindly threw me in here.”
“Right. Yup. Of course.” She stands up. She’s about to guide you out of the office and to your desk, but she has something to say. “Don’t you think he deserves to know?”
“I deserved to know about his marriage. We had been together for a long time. But he cut me off as if it was nothing.” You respond. “There was no way for me to contact him anyway.”
“Yeah… Sorry. Let’s get you to your desk.”
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Ren hides under your desk, playing with your phone as you wait for the nanny to show up to the place. She apologized over a hundred times, a family emergency had come up, but now she’s on her way. And now you pray that she’ll get Ren off your hands before Satoru comes to this floor. You have too much on your plate. 
“Mommy, someone is calling.” Ren announces, passing you the phone. You take it from him, and when you see that it’s the nanny calling, you’re relieved. It almost causes a smile to come to your lips. You put the phone to your ear, and when she tells you that she’s in the lobby, you nearly jump up from your seat. 
“C’mon, Ren. You’re going back home.” You tell him, and he gets out of the desk and grabs your hand. He’s a little too excited to go back home, after all, he doesn’t do much here. Back at home though, he has so many toys and a big TV where he can watch his cartoons. 
“Are you coming with me, mommy?” He asks. He knows that you have to work and you spend so much time working, but he’s still hopeful that you’ll nod in response. Instead you smile at him before shaking your head,
“I’ll see you later, baby.” You ruffle his hair. “This weekend we’ll do something fun.”
He slowly nods his head, a bit disappointed by the answer, but it’s to be expected. You knock on the Shoko’s office door, and you wait for her to allow you to come in. When you hear her voice, you open the door and quickly announce, “I’m dropping Ren off in the lobby with the nanny. I’ll be right back.”
She nods in response and you close the door again. You walk to the elevator with Ren, and you get in, fully expecting to hide him again just because you feel as if the universe hates you, and you might bump into Satoru again. But you’re lucky.
You make it to the lobby without the universe playing any tricks on you, and you quickly spot the nanny. You drop Ren off with her, reminding her of the apartment code as you give her Ren’s bag. You kiss the top of your son’s forehead and tell him, “Be good, okay, baby?”
“Yes, mommy.” He nods. You smile at him, happy that you don’t have to worry about Satoru seeing him. The nanny walks away with your son, and once they exit the building, you begin to walk back to the elevators. While you wait for the elevator doors to open, your heart stops for a moment again. 
You begin to walk to the other elevator, hoping to avoid another awkward interaction, but you hear Mrs. Gojo call your name. She’s a wretched woman, that’s all you can think about. Your hands ball up into fists and you take a deep breath before turning around to face her.
“Mrs. Gojo.” You acknowledge her, trying your best to smile at her. You look directly at her, ignoring Satoru and his wife who are right alongside her. You feel Satoru’s wife stare at you while Satoru’s eyes wander around, not wanting to look directly at you.
“I was waiting for you this morning, what happened?” She asks. Before you can answer, she speaks again, “Oh, where are my manners? This is Sayo, my daughter-in-law. And you remember Satoru, right? You two grew up together.”
“Yeah… How could I forget.” You respond. Sayo extends her hand for you to shake, and you do so. Satoru’s hands go into his pockets and he looks anywhere but at you. “Really lovely meeting you.”
“You too.” She smiles. When she lets go, you unintentionally wipe your hand on your pants. 
“What happened this morning?” Mrs. Gojo goes back to her original question. You chew on the inside of your cheek, trying to think of how to answer.
“You know the cat?” You ask and she furrows her eyebrows. She’s confused until you say, “Your cat threw up and I couldn’t leave it alone for the–”
“Oh! Oh… Why didn’t you call me?” She replies.
“I did. I left a message as well.” You respond. You awkwardly stand around for what feels like an eternity before you clear your throat. You’re about to speak but Satoru speaks before you.
“You never told me you got a cat, mom. Do you have any pictures?” Satoru asks.
“No.” She answers. “And don’t expect to see it. The cat isn’t staying with me for now.”
“Why?” Satoru asks, and his mom rolls her eyes. That’s enough of an answer for him. “How about you? Do you have pictures?”
“I do.” You respond.
“Can I see?”
“No.” You reply. You then smile at Mrs. Gojo and tell her, “Ms. Ieiri is waiting for me, if you’d excuse me.”
“Oh, we still have to greet her. Mind if we accompany you?” Sayo asks and you shake your head, trying your best to remain polite with everyone. You knew this would happen eventually the moment you began to work for Mrs. Gojo, you just didn’t expect it so soon.
“I’m heading out, I’ll see you three later.” Mrs. Gojo says, waving. You head to the elevator and they walk behind you. Your palms get sweaty and you feel as if you can’t breathe while you’re entrapped in such a small space with them.
“So… You’re my mother-in-law’s assistant but you also work with Ieiri?” Sayo speaks, and you bite down on your lip. 
“Yup, money problems.” You answer.
“Weren’t you planning on becoming a doctor?” Satoru speaks up just as the elevator doors open. You don’t answer his question, walking out of the elevator. You walk straight to Shoko’s office, and they follow behind. Just as you’re about to knock, Shoko opens the door. Her eyes immediately land on Satoru and his wife.
“Special delivery for you.” You tell Shoko. She puts on a smile, greeting Satoru and Sayo as you walk to your desk. When you take a seat, you can’t focus on learning what you have to do. Today was simply the worst day to start the new job.
“Why didn’t you tell me about your new assistant?” Satoru asks Shoko as she takes her seat. The woman shrugs.
“Does it matter?” Shoko replies.
“Well… I guess it doesn’t.” He ends up shaking his head.
“Who is she exactly?” Sayo questions. 
“She’s an old friend. She’s an old servant’s daughter and we grew up together.” Satoru responds. Sayo slowly nods in response as she takes a seat across from Shoko. That makes sense, but she doesn’t understand why you feel so hostile toward him. Maybe she’s reading things wrong though, it was just a brief exchange.
“You know? I want to get to know all of Satoru’s friends better. How about we invite you two out… and Suguru! You know Suguru, right?” Sayo suggests, Satoru’s eyebrows furrowing.
“Know him? I nearly killed him once.” Shoko scoffs.
“You two as in…?” Satoru asks, praying that the second person is someone completely random.
“The assistant.” She answers, and Satoru bites his tongue. He can’t argue about it unless he reveals that he has a past with you, and he doesn’t want that. Shoko purses her lips together before saying,
“I’m in. It’ll be nice to go out with old friends.”
A smile appears on Sayo’s lips and she stands up, “I’ll go invite the assistant.”
“Love, slow down a bit. She’s busy.” Satoru’s hand goes to Sayo’s shoulder. Sayo ends up rolling her eyes before she brushes off Satoru’s hand.,
“I’ll only take up a second of her time.”
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blue-slxt · 9 months
Text
Our Song Cord: Nobody Gets Out of Love Alive
(Chapter 4)
🔞Minors Do Not Interact🔞
A/N: Time to finally get to the plot point that inspired this whole fic for me lol. This idea just came smack outta nowhere and it wouldn't leave my brain until I got it down so I hope you guys enjoy it. Every chapter title is a song reference, so if you know the song, you get a cookie. I really really appreciate feedback so comments and reblogs are heavily encouraged. All characters are aged up.
Series Masterlist
Previous Part | Next Part
Pairing: Neteyam x Fem!Omatikaya!Reader
Warnings: Reader Making Poor Life Decisions, Kiri Being the Best, Mentions of Smut, Cheating? (If you squint), Friends to Lovers, Angst, Misunderstandings, Mentions of Pregnancy
Word Count: 5.2k
Summary: Consequences and misunderstandings.
There’s a distinct shift in you and Neteyam’s relationship over the next week or so. In public, you both give the appearance of best friends. Partners in crime that do everything together just like everyone had always known you to. But in private, you more often than not spent your time as a sweaty, heaving pile of intertwined limbs. Even after the end of your heat, the two of you still couldn’t seem to keep your hands off of each other.
Neteyam, in particular, was getting bolder with his affection. It would be a small brush of his tail against yours, his hand lingering on the small of your back during actual training sessions, or even a quick sneaky kiss he’d press against your cheek when no one was looking. You’d be lying if you said you didn’t absolutely adore all the attention he showered you with. Your heart called out for him in a way that was unfamiliar to you, but it hit you with a force strong enough to make the blood all rush to your head. Your body craved him deeply as if he was the very air you needed to fill your lungs. But the revelation of all these feelings did complicate things.
The reality was, Neteyam didn’t belong to you. And soon, he was going to belong to someone else. You felt ashamed every time you would see Layao shoot him a smile or let her hands trail over his arms and you would feel your gut twist with nausea.
You knew that this arrangement you had with Neteyam was going to be coming to an end soon as his ceremony was coming in just a couple days. But it was the fact that your time was running out that made you want him that much more. To steal these small moments with him more often. Build more memories to hold on to like a security blanket. She would have him for the rest of their lives, you should be allowed these last few days.
And what an eventful few days it was. The two of you would see each other every single night. You would spend hours experimenting with new positions and possible kinks. You’ve both discovered a lot about each other and yourselves. You’ve lost count of how many times you’ve had him spit in your mouth. The thought of such a thing before would have disgusted you, but when you hold your head back and mouth open still holding some of his cum on your tongue and you watch that steady stream roll from his tongue to yours, you swear you’ve never tasted anything more delicious in your life. And Neteyam loves having you on top. He loves being able to watch your head fall back and release so many sweet, dirty sounds while your tits bounce with your every move.
And as much as you loved fucking him, you equally loved the tender way he’d hold you afterwards. You’d lay your head on his chest listening to his heartbeat and he’d kiss the top of your head while cooing sweet words to you. On several nights, the two of you would lose track of time and have to scramble to make it back home before everyone else woke up. It was a risky arrangement, but that just added to the thrill of it all.
But now, Neteyam’s ceremony is in 2 days and you can’t help the deep sense of dread you feel lurking just under the surface. It causes your vision to go unsteady and your stomach churn when you wake up in the morning. Suddenly, you’re rushing out of your home and to a nearby bush coughing up your stomach contents. It burns your throat and leaves a disgusting taste in your mouth. Your body feels weak trying to walk back to your home. You quickly rinse your mouth out with some water you have and decide it’s probably smart to go to the healing tent and be checked just to be totally sure that you’re not coming down with a cold. Hopefully, they have something that will settle your stomach.
When you walk into the healing tent you look around for any familiar face. “Kiri? Tsahik?” Footsteps shuffle over to you and it’s Layao. “Oh, sorry, I was just looking for Kiri or Mo’at.”
“Oh, they’re out gathering herbs. Are you alright? Is it something I can help you with?” Her voice is sweet and her expression is gentle. Another churn of your stomach plagues you as you fight to swallow back down the bile building in your throat.
“W-well, I woke up not feeling very well. I just wanted to be sure I wasn’t getting sick.”
“I can definitely help you. Mo’at has been training me more in these kinds of things. Come, sit.” She gently holds your wrist and leads you to sit on a mat nearby. You try to take deep breaths to help ease the erratic beating of your heart. Your eyes study her as she pulls out a small, sharp bone similar to the one that Mo’at keeps with her. Her voice is still gentle when she approaches you.
“It’s just going to be a little prick.” She pokes just barely through your skin and brings the tip of the bone up to her lips and lets her eyes close while she listens for Eywa.
After only a few seconds, her eyes shoot open and she smiles brightly at you. “You are with child. You have been blessed.”
A ringing in your ears starts. “I’m sorry, that must be a mistake. A child?” “It is no mistake. I have done this several times now. Eywa is going to bless you and your mate with a precious baby.” She clasps her hands together showing her genuine excitement for you.
Your chest tightens with a mix of emotions.
“I did not know that you had a mate already. I’m sure he will be overjoyed to know!” she places a hand on your shoulder and you do your best to not recoil from her touch.
“This is big news. I should go so I can rest. Uh, thank you.” You say starting to stand up.
“Oh, wait.” She turns to fidget with a myriad of different bowls and herbs and things behind her. “Here. These should help with the nausea and weakness.” She says as she places a small sack of herbs in your hands.
“Thank you. I should get going.”
The walk back to your home feels like it passes by in a blur. Your mind can’t process anything properly right now. A baby…you were going to have a baby. Neteyam’s baby.
‘Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck!’ is your initial reaction. You flop down on your sleep mat and stare blankly ahead. What are you supposed to do?
You look down at your stomach and, all of a sudden, you’re hit with a wave of overwhelming affection. You hold a hand lightly just under your navel and let it sink in that there’s a little manifestation of your love growing inside of you.
But how are you supposed to tell Neteyam? This would completely derail his arrangement with Layao. You don’t want to cause any trouble or embarrassment for anyone.
While you’re lost in thought, there’s a knock on the post outside the entrance to your home. You jump at the sound, but relax a little when you see that it’s only Kiri. “Hey, Kiri.”
“Hey, Layao told us you came by the tent.”
“Oh, yeah. I wasn’t feeling good when I woke up so I just came to get checked.” The apprehension is written all over your face and Kiri can sense it.
“She told us about…” she doesn’t finish her sentence but gestures to your stomach.
“Ah, I see.”
Kiri comes closer to you and crouches next to you. “Don’t look so excited.” She jokes. You know she’s trying to cheer you up, but there’s too much anxiety storming in your mind right now.
“So, who is the lucky guy? Is it Aykxo? I saw you talking with him a while ago. He’s quite the catch.”
You try to quickly compose yourself when you turn your head away from her, but the quiver in your lip shakes your voice as it comes out. “No. It is not Aykxo. But I can’t say.”
Her eyebrows furrow in confusion. “If it’s not Aykxo, then who else would it be? The only other person I ever see you with is Net—“, she cuts her own sentence short when the circuits connect. When she goes silent, all you can do is look at her. Her expression shifts from shock to pity. “Oh no.”
“You can’t tell him, Kiri.”
“You’re joking. Please tell me you’re not serious. How did this happen? When? Is that why you’ve been out so late together every night? And all the marks on you? Oh, Eywa, I think I’m going to be sick!” You can barely register Kiri’s rambling when your head falls into your hands and the tears start to well in your eyes.
She pauses and takes a breath when she notices your small sniffles. She places an arm around your shoulders. “What are you planning to do?”
“I can’t tell him. It would ruin everything for him. I can’t do that to him.”
“But this is his baby. He’ll want to be there for you. He has to know. Besides, what are you going to tell him when your belly starts growing?”
She’s right. And you know she is. Of course, Neteyam deserves to know and you know that he would want to be there, but the fear of what this could do to your relationship is too great in your heart. It’s one thing for him to reject you, but to turn away you and your baby would utterly crush you.
“I haven’t thought that far ahead, but I can’t tell him, Kiri. I can’t. And you can’t either. Nobody can know.”
“Fine. I won’t say anything. But he should know. This baby is as much his as it is yours.”
You huff out a breath trying to decide on the best course of action.
“Do you need anything?” she asks still holding onto you.
“Just time.” You say plainly.
“Alright. Consider it done.” She responds in a very matter-of-fact tone.
You watch her in confusion as she stands and makes her way out of your home before you even have the chance to ask her what she means. Instead, you fall on to your back on your sleep mat and stare up at the sky musing to yourself about your situation.
This might be a mistake. When Neteyam asked you earlier if the two of you were still meeting tonight, every logical part of you screamed at you to make up some kind of excuse to say no. But seeing his hopeful eyes and that damned smile that defied all logic, you couldn’t find it in you to turn him down.
So, here you stood near the shack waiting. You beat him here tonight since your anxiety was running too high for you to just sit at home.
When you hear a rustling in the nearby bushes, your body tenses feeling him get closer. When Neteyam finally emerges, he’s clearly surprised to see you here first, but happy all the same.
“You’re already here. That excited to see me?” he jokes walking straight to you and wrapping his arms around your middle. He nuzzles his face in the crook of your neck and presses feather light kisses to your shoulder.
By Eywa, how are you not supposed to just soften under his gentle hold? “Teyam?”
“Hm?” he hums in response without moving his face away from your neck.
“Can we just sit together for a while? It’s been kind of a rough day and I just really need you.” Your voice is hesitant and small. But when he pulls back, there’s not even a hint of disappointment there.
“Of course, sevin.”
He’s gotten much more comfortable with things like that too lately. Every now and then, Neteyam will drop in a pet name for you. It makes your heart pound every time, even if you feel like it shouldn’t.
He sits on the ground cross legged and opens his arms out for you in waiting. You smile to yourself before slotting yourself right into his lap facing him and crossing your legs behind his back. You rest your head on his shoulder and he mimics you while rubbing his hand up and down the expanse of your back.
“What is bothering you, syulang?”
If there was ever a time to tell him the truth, this would be it. It should be. And yet, your mouth just opens and closes repeatedly searching for the right string of words.
“I just woke up not feeling really good…” not technically a lie. “And I just keep thinking about this. Soon, you are going to have your mating ceremony and we’ll have to stop this.” It sounds needier to your ears than you’d like for it to. “I mean, you won’t need my help anymore, you know?”
Your attempt at a recovery is unconvincing at best and you just pray that Neteyam won’t pick up on the underlying context. He’d never tell you whether he did or didn’t, though. Neteyam is a smart man. But still, it doesn’t take much more than half a brain and a pair of working eyes to figure out that you had it bad for him. He found it nothing short of adorable how your face would flush when he’d kiss your cheek or how you would stutter and stumble over your words when you’d ask for him to touch you.
“Well, if that is worrying you, then you’ll be happy to know that the ceremony has been postponed.” He says still just mindlessly rubbing his fingertips in shapes on your back.
Instead of happiness, your first emotion is surprise. You pull your face back to be able to look at him to make sure he was being serious. “What? Why?”
He just shrugs his shoulders, “I’m not sure. Apparently, grandmother had a change of opinion and suggested to my parents that we put the whole thing on hold.” “For how long?” “They didn’t say. Just until she is sure again, I guess.”
Your brain tries to figure out what reason Mo’at could possibly have for changing her mind. That was something she rarely ever did. Once she had an idea set in her mind, there was usually no talking her out of it. And, for some reason, your mind keeps flashing back to your conversation with Kiri from earlier.
“Do you need anything?”
“Just time.”
“Alright. Consider it done.”
There’s no way. You thought her demeanor was a little odd, but there’s no way that she managed to pull this off. You try to suppress the small smile that makes its way onto your face. You mentally file away a note to make her the best bracelet your amateur fingers could manage.
Neteyam notices the lift in your expression and it clearly pleases him to see you happy.
“I will always need you. We’ve spent our whole lives together. How could I ever not need you?” The hint of love in his voice and eyes is disarming. How are you supposed to not be completely in love with this man? You place your hands on either side of his face and brush your nose against his with a small giggle. “You are too sweet to me, Teyam.”
For the rest of the night, you both pass your time with just casual conversation. Neteyam tells you what kind of trouble Lo’ak has gotten himself mixed up in lately and you fill him in on the latest gossip among the people. Neteyam isn’t really one for gossip, but he loves seeing how enthusiastic you are with your vivid retellings. Neither of you can keep your hands to yourselves the whole time. You always have to be touching in some kind of way. Sometimes Neteyam has you sit in his lap, sometimes your back is pressed against his chest while you sit between his legs, hand holding, playing with each other’s braids, stolen kisses, longing looks, it’s more intimate than some mated couples.
It’s enough to make you temporarily forget about the tiny truth hiding in your womb behind your still flat stomach.
Once daylight starts threatening to creep in, you both decide to call it a night and sneak back home. Since it’s still so early, you actually accept Neteyam’s offer to walk you home this time. It’s far too early for even the earliest risers to be stirring around so there should be no real harm in it. All the while, your mind is trying to work out the best way to break the news to him. And then comes the fear. You don’t want to lose this. It’s so comfortable and pure and you don’t want to ruin that. But you won’t be able to keep this under wraps for long.
“Thank you for walking me, Teyam. You really didn’t have to.” You say turning to him once you reach your home.
“I know I didn’t have to, but I wanted to. I want to make sure you’re safe. Besides, it gives me an excuse to spend an extra few minutes with you.” His slanted grin exposes one of his fangs and you want to roll your eyes at him, but your smile gives you away. You go to turn and walk in, but you stop when he grabs your hand and turns you back to him. His eyes roam up and down your body and his voice is low. “Will I see you later?”
Fuck, he can’t look at you like that and talk like that. You literally can’t say no to him when he looks at you like that. You have to bite your lip just to keep from screaming. “Sure, Nete.” You say his name in a singsong voice teasing him.
He may laugh, but you know that he not-so-secretly loves it. He steps forward to peck your lips one quick time before finally letting go of your hand and watching you walk inside.
Neteyam knows that he’s in a tricky spot. On the one hand, he feels a deep sense of duty to his family, to his people, and to Layao. But on the other hand, he’d be lying if said he was upset about the arrangement being postponed because that means that he gets to hold on to this fantasy a little longer. He gets to fulfill his duty to his own heart. But which one should take precedent? It’s true he doesn’t want to disappoint his parents or his intended mate, but he can’t picture his future without you. Loving you, mating with you, having you bare his children. Not to mention how you not-so-secretly loved him back. It should be just as simple as that, shouldn’t it? He decided that he needs to have a talk with his father.
Rays of light beaming through the spaces of your kelku wake you late in the morning. Your stomach flips and threatens to make you spill, but you choke it back down just barely. This nausea feels like it will be the death of you. But you have daily chores to attend to. With a couple of deep breaths and a couple swigs of water, you settle your stomach enough to make it out of bed and out into the village. Today would be the perfect day to help weave some baskets. You can sit still and you can practice your weaving skills. You take a seat near the other women working on their baskets and use your fingers to slowly form the right intertwining pattern.
It’s tricky for you to say the least. Weaving has never really been your strong suit. Trying to understand the way the patterns and lines all come together to form one cohesive object was beyond you, but you give it your best effort regardless.
You get a little distracted by the feeling of eyes on you. When you look up, you can notice some of the other girls looking at you and whispering amongst themselves. That’s a little odd, but you figure it’s nothing worth worrying about.
“What ya working on?” a familiar voice appears right behind you and makes you jump. When you look, a smiling Kiri is crouched behind you.
“Kiri, you nearly made my heart stop!”
She hides her laugh behind her hand, “Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. You were just focusing so hard.” She moves around so that she’s sitting next to you now. “So, how did things go?”
You swallow hard trying to find the right words yet again.
“It went fine. We talked…a lot…about a lot of…stuff” you couldn’t sound more unconvincing if you tried.
“You didn’t tell him yet, did you?” you flinch a bit at her deadpan expression and tone.
“It just wasn’t the right time.” “Well, I’ve made sure that you have plenty of that.”
“So it was you!” your voice gets a little louder before you can really catch it.
“Shhhh, keep your voice down! You said you needed time so I bought you some time. But you only have so long before you’re not going to be able to hide it anymore. Plus, I have no clue how long before my grandmother actually makes up her mind. So, whatever you do, you better do it quickly.”
She’s not wrong. And you’re grateful for her help, but what are you supposed to do? How do you break news like this?
“But what am I supposed to say to him, Kiri? ‘Hey Neteyam, I know you’re supposed to be with Layao but, I’m pregnant with your baby’? How well do you really think that will go?” you ask with all the sarcasm you can muster.
“Very well, actually! Even the blind can see how much my brother loves you. And I mean love loves you. Don’t act like you haven’t noticed.”
Your cheeks get hot and you can only look away from her. “The timing just still feels off. I’ll tell him. I will. I just need to find the right time.”
Kiri sighs deeply next to you, “Fine, but just don’t let it get away from you.”
“Alright.”
When Neteyam arrives back at his family’s kelku, only his mother and Tuk are there. Neytiri was prepping meat for their dinner and Tuk was working on weaving a small basket for herself. Neytiri smiles at Neteyam when he walks in. “Welcome home ma’itan. Food will be ready soon.” She says barely taking her eyes off her working hands.
“Where is dad? I need to speak with him about something important.”
“Your father is in a strategy meeting.” She says and finally looks at Neteyam to see the apprehension written all over him. “What is it that’s troubling you?” She finally sets down the meat and her knife while she watches him shift his weight from one foot to the other.
Neteyam considers brushing it off as nothing and coming up with some kind of excuse so he could avoid this conversation with his mother. But then he thinks about it a little deeper. Maybe his mom was the right person to start with after all. While she was always strong and firm, she was also incredibly empathetic when it came to her family. She was often the more level-headed one and more willing to hear them out. He relents with a sigh and walks over to help her with prepping the food for dinner while he talks.
“It is about the arrangement with Layao…I am having some doubts about the whole thing. I understand that she is who you and dad and grandmother have chosen and she is a nice girl, but—”
“But you hold someone else in your heart.” She finishes the thought for him. She was always good at that kind of thing.
He finds himself unable to speak and opts to simply nod his head instead while he continues to work on his slicing. Neytiri places a hand on Neteyam’s face and makes him look at her.
“Layao is a good girl and the two of you together is good for the clan.” Neteyam’s stomach drops hearing this. “But, at the end of the day, you need to do what is good for yourself and if it is this other girl, then Eywa will find a way to make it so.” A small glimmer of hope reappears in Neteyam’s eyes.
“It would not be the first time something like this has happened. It’s how I ended up with your father.” She casually drops in.
Neteyam laughs a little to himself remembering all the times his parents would recall their love story to him and his siblings when they were little. It gave him hope that if things could work out for them this well, then maybe Eywa could make something work out for him too.
Neytiri takes the knife and food from Neteyam, “Go, find your father. It sounds like you need to speak to him.” A ghost of a smile sits on her face and Neteyam perks up a bit feeling a new wave of surety. He offers his mother a kiss on the cheek before jumping up from his spot and heading out to search for Jake.
The clan is alive with the hustle and bustle of everyone going about their day and getting their duties done. In the midst of his search for his father, Neteyam hears a call through the crowd of people.
“Neteyam! There you are!”
When he turns around, Layao is already making her way over to him. He sighs a bit because he doesn’t have time for this right now, but he doesn’t want to be rude to the poor girl. It was already bad enough that he was on his way to call off their arrangement. No need to twist the knife by ignoring her too.
“Layao. Were you looking for me?” he asks putting on his best, most casual smile he can right now.
“Yes, I wanted to give you this. I heard that you like yovo fruit and I figured you could use a snack while you’re going about your day. I’m sure you’re very busy.” Her hand rubs at the back of her neck trying to calm her nerves. Neteyam’s heart breaks for her. She’s truly a sweet girl and she is a catch in her own right, but she just isn’t the one that his heart calls for.
“Thank you. That’s very thoughtful of you.”
“It’s nothing. Have you heard the good news?”
“What news?”
“About your friend. She and her mate are being blessed with a child.” Her excitement is evident, but Neteyam feels like his brain just short-circuited.
“She and her mate? A child?” he reiterates to ensure he heard her correctly.
“Yes! She came to me the other day because she was feeling ill and I received the message from Eywa. Isn’t it exciting? But I didn’t know she was mated already. I wonder if it’s Aykxo. Remember when we saw them talking that one day? And then they disappeared off into the forest together after eclipse. It has to be, right? That’s what everyone else is saying.” her smile grows wider while she theorizes about the origin of your unborn baby and the secret of your lover.
Now, Neteyam is the one who’s feeling ill. This couldn’t possibly be true, could it? You would have told him…wouldn’t you?
Nerves consume you as you lean against the tree near the shack. Neteyam is late. He usually would be here by now and Neteyam is never one for being late. Maybe he got caught by someone trying to sneak off and he needs more time to get away. Your foot is involuntarily tapping the ground trying to release some of the tension in your body. Suddenly, you hear rustling through the bushes and can faintly make out dramatically swaying braids in the dark.
“Teyam! I was starting to worry that you weren’t coming tonight.” You greet him with a smile and walk towards him as he breaks through the foliage. When you approach him, he takes a step back from you. Your face falls. Neteyam has never avoided your touch before. Especially not recently. Usually, his hands are drawn to you like moths to a flame the second he lays eyes on you.
“What’s wrong?”
His jaw clenches and he’s avoiding looking you in the eye. This isn’t like him at all.
“Neteyam!” your voice gets a little louder urging him to finally look at you and say something. When he does look at you, the sight makes your heart break. His eyes are red and filling with tears and there’s a deep sadness tainting his otherwise flawless face.
“Teyam?” your voice is just above a whisper stepping towards him. Your hand is about to rise to touch his face, but his hand gently stops yours by your wrist.
“Is it true?”
You almost can’t even hear the question with how low his voice is.
“Is what true?” “Are you pregnant?”
Silence. Your entire body stills. It feels like even your lungs have frozen in place and stopped your breath all together. His eyes study your face waiting for some kind of sign or an answer. But, in truth, your silence says it all.
“Is it Aykxo’s?” his voice wavers ever so slightly when he speaks.
“Who did you hear that from?”
“That’s what everyone is saying. And I know you went off with him that night you went into heat.” The hurt in his voice is evident. You want nothing more than to deny it; to tell him the truth. But when your mouth falls open to speak, you can’t seem to find words.
“What’s worse is that you didn’t even tell me. I had to hear it from someone else.”
“Who did you hear it from?” “What does that matter? The point is that it should have come from you.” His voice is more firm with the hurt giving way to agitation.
“Teyam, I wanted to tell you, but it’s complicated…” tears start to well in your eyes ready to spill at a moment’s notice.
“No kidding. And to think, I thought you might actually…” a small sob breaks his sentence and he has to pause to take a breath and recompose himself. “Never mind. I don’t know what I expected. This whole thing was always supposed to be just temporary anyways so why don’t we just cut it here? We’ve got all we needed out of each other so no need to continue anymore.”
“Tey, please don’t do this. Just let me explain—”
“Congratulations on your child.” He turns and walks back through the dense bushes and branches and disappears right before your eyes.
The shock finally subsides and the despair flows through you. Your knees give out and you fall to the ground with tears cascading down your face. Sobs rack your body as you hold your stomach. It’s your worst nightmare come true. The man you love has renounced you and your baby. The baby that you didn’t have the courage to tell him belonged to him. That you belonged to him. Looking down at your belly, you quietly promise your baby that the two of you will make it through this…somehow.
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ghouljams · 9 months
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Can you imagine what it must've felt like to be Valeria's demon? They must be living the life, getting to have sex with Valeria AND be their special recon/info retriever
-🧪
I have tried to think about what Valeria's demon would do, who they'd be, and I am a little stumped. Currently I'm thinking her demon is called Hide, and I want to say Valeria earned her demon but I just know she'd try summoning one if she heard about them. Maybe she found out about Alejandro having a demon and decided she needed one too.
You mark down a clipboard, watching crates disappear as you do. Shadows slink over the containers, swallowing them whole until you've gone down your entire list. You hand it off to the enforcer that's in charge of distribution and give him very clear instructions to not touch anything. You know he will, they always do. Pendent.
You check your watch and let your bonds carry you back to Valeria. She rolls her shoulders as you settle in her shadow, tips her head to one side, then the other in faux boredom. You know better than anyone that even when she's quiet she's working overtime. Her mind is always churning to fix leaks and plug holes in whatever operation she's running. You rest your chin against her shoulder, feel her move to brush her hair back, fingers scratch your head. Unseen to the other cartel heads at the table.
"So you want me to fund, what?" Valeria tosses a folder onto the table, shrugs, "Some little sting operation? Pilfering weapons from the Americans?" You purr against her back, eyes glued to the faces of the men around the table.
"Throwing them a bone every once in a while keeps them off our backs," One man explains, as if Valeria isn't already aware.
"So," she draws the word out, "that's your best plan? Feeding a meat grinder spare parts in the hopes of a little fire power?" She leans back against the chair, and you, incorporeal as ever, like the think she's leaning back against you. Valeria tips her head, "I already get all the weapons I need, why should I go after the ones I dont?"
"Everything is set to ship out," you whisper in her ear. You can see her lips twitch, just barely a smile for your work.
"Same reason we do anything," Another man laughs, "the profit."
Valeria hums, and points her finger at him, her thumb raised in an approximation of a gun. She makes a "bang" noise, raising her hand for the recoil. You hide all your shadows in his skull until it pops.
The men on either side of him jump up from their seats with loud swears as his brains splatter the table. His body collapses forward, eyes dangling. Some of the men cross themselves, Valeria kicks her feet up on the table.
"What a shame," She looks at her fingers, inspecting them with a bored sort of expression, "I almost liked him."
"What the fuck did you do?" Someone asks, you don't really care who, you're busy watching two idiots try to get brains off of their nice suits. You wave a hand, and hide every bullet in the room. Well, every bullet save the ones in you handler's gun. Which is a handy trick when everyone is so damn trigger happy.
Several guns raise, pointed at Valeria.
"Nothing any of you could prove," she folds her hands in her lap with a smile, "or that anyone would believe if you told them."
"Bitch," one of the men spits. Rude. You hide his tongue, watch the blood drip from his stunned lips as he chokes. The rapid click of empty guns fills the room. Valeria tuts, shaking her head.
"All that machismo," she snaps her fingers and you feel your shadows ripple as your obscura falls, you bare your teeth at the nearest cartel boss, "really isn't going to help you much, eh cabrónes?"
You feel the chain length of a heavy leash burn into existence, following the clench of Valeria's fist. You quite like the show you both put on. The way all of the men in the room, so used the being the grim reaper in their little world, come face to face with a true beacon of death for the first time and seem to lose all their blood. Valeria drags you back until you tumble into her lap, hooks her finger in your leather collar and makes you look like a lapdog.
"Why don't you sit down before another of you makes a mess?" Valeria advises. And just like a pack of well trained dogs, they do.
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reidslovely · 11 months
Note
Another suggestion: reader furious with Peter, thinking she was cheated by him after his ex-girlfriend posted a photo of the two together in IG with a dubious and enigmatic caption... Too much drama, anguish, reader pulling away and running off somewhere to reflect... Peter finds her... Happy ending, please <3
Maybe not my best piece of work, but I did what I could and I like how it turned out. A little longer than I thought it would be haha. Hope you love it friend.
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Admittedly, she was not too fond of the idea of going to Peter’s ten year high school reunion with him. They had just officially started dating about a month ago, and she was still unsure if these were things he wanted her to attend with him. There was also the fact that Peter never asked her if she wanted to go with him, and she was not about to invite herself. When he got to her apartment from the reunion, she noted that he was slightly buzzed and tired. The latter showed from the way he tossed himself face first on the bed. She laughed asking him how it went, and if he saw any old friends. 
“I think I’m still the same loser I was then. Puny Parker still reigns as the loser king.” He mutters burying his face deeper into her blanket clad thighs. “Seeing my high school bully and my first girlfriend all in the same night really pulls some worse flashbacks than any of my crime fighting has.” 
She couldn’t help but to laugh from that, as Peter rolled over head still in her lap, staring up at her before closing his eyes and falling asleep. 
Admittedly, she also was not too fond of the first picture that popped up on her instagram that morning. (Y/N) had no clue she had even followed Liz Allan anywhere on social media. The photo, taken the previous night, had the dark haired girl clinging to a giggly, tipsy Peter. Arms around his neck cheek to cheek, like something out of a catalog. Swiping in the carousel of photos the next was a similarly posed picture of the two. The couple in the photo were about eleven years younger fifthteen years old, sixteen at most. Having a happy day at the skatepark, still clinging to each other. As if the pain in her heart growing was not a big enough sign to turn back and ignore the post she let her eyes wander down to the caption. 
‘Most definitely not fifthteen and sixteen anymore but still love you just the same Petey” 
That alone set fire onto her skin, her stomach churning out of pure spite and jealousy. Peter slept soundly in her bed next to her, and it took everything in her rational brain to hold back from repeatedly hitting him with the decorative pillows. She stared at him, rationally she knew this was just two friends, maybe even strangers now reminiscing about their past. However, when he came home last night he made it sound so miserable like he never even wanted to see her. Quietly, and slowly she removed herself from the bed not wanting to stir him awake. Peter rolls around for a minute noticing the shift in weight. It doesn’t wake him though, (Y/N) sighs softly making her way to the kitchen after changing her clothes. 
Pulling her favorite to go cup down from the cabinet she starts making her morning tea, she grabs the notepad off the table writing a quick note that she’d be back soon, that he should take out breakfast. She makes her way out the door and down the stairs.
 “Good Morning Ms. (Y/LN). No Peter?” The older lady from next door asks as she walks her dog. 
“No, no he’s sleeping in this morning. Had a busy night, I just wanted to get some reading done at the park this morning.” 
“Well have fun, be safe.” 
(Y/N) nodded her neighbor off, forcing a smile as she walked across the street heading for Astoria park. 
Peter rolled over once more, his hand reaching out for his girlfriend. His skin was met with the emptiness of cold satin sheets, his fingers dragging on the fabric as he lifted himself up to look around the room. It was dark and empty, the only bit of light that filled the room came from a crack in the curtain. Peter yelled out, waiting a few seconds for a reply before jumping out of bed. He ran through the condo looking around, stopping in the kitchen seeing the note on the counter. His hand rubbed down his face, his stomach grew a sinking feeling. Peter looked around frantically for his phone, digging through the pockets of his jacket from last night. Once in his hand it lit up, a photo of (Y/N) holding a Spider-Man plushie decorated his screen. An instagram banner notification pulled his eyes down: ‘LizzyAllan tagged you in a photo’. Peter clicked on it confused, the photo of him and her from last night mirrored one from a decade ago. Liked by ‘(y/n)(y/ln)’ caused the sinking feeling to grow. It was a silly thing to be jealous over, but putting himself in her shoes..he’d be jealous too. 
Peter clicked around his phone calling (Y/N) leaning against the kitchen counter. “Hey leave me a message, I’ll ge-” Kicking his feet Peter stood up straight, walking to the bedroom getting dressed. Grabbing his jacket and heading out, he clicked on her contact digging for her location. Astoria Park - 30 minutes ago, surely she couldn’t have gone far in thirty minutes. He stepped out onto the fire escape, took one look around, and swung off. Astoria was close enough, but swinging would get him there faster. 
Trees rustled, (Y/N) sat her journal down looking around. Peter walked out slowly behind the trees fixing his hair, approaching her. (Y/N) watched as he gave her a knowing smile, she returned it with a frown. 
“She means nothing to me, you know that right?” Peter asks, dropping down onto the ground next to her. “I dated her for five months in high school when I was sixteen.” 
(Y/N) sighed letting her head roll back before nodding. “Rationally, yes.” She leans her head on his shoulder playing with the fabric bookmark of her journal. “It’s just I didn’t go with you last night, you came home acting like you hated every bit of it and then I saw your photos with her looking happy and I felt..” 
“Left out, I get it. I’d feel that way too. I didn’t mean to make you feel negative.” He whispers against her hair. “I did have an awful time last night because you weren't there. You can ask anyone, all I did was talk about my new girlfriend and how cool she is.” Peter laughs, moving her hair from her face putting his face back on the top of her head. 
“You did?” 
“Of course I did. Showed everyone a picture of you, Flash couldn’t believe I was dating someone as pretty as you.” He jokes. 
“Mhm now you’re just trying to flatter me.” 
“Absolutely not, it’s true. You’re my girl and I love showing you off. It’s a silly throwback pic, you are my now and future okay, you don’t ever need to worry.” 
She smiled, letting her eyes track up his face as he pulled away. “Now can I please have a good morning kiss?” 
“Sure, I guess.” (Y/N) hums playfully, leaning in first. 
___
@helloheyhihowdyheya @sincericida @a-lumos-in-the-nox @messymissy @adhdhufflepuff @someblessedmonster
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multi-fan-dom-madness · 7 months
Note
Hello my wonderful friend! I’m here with a request if you’re feeling it!
“a kiss to convince the other to stay”
With Crosshair? 👉🏻👈🏻
hi friend!! <3 thank you for this request! I must admit that my brain automatically turned to angst for this one, so I am so very sorry for the pain this may or may not cause (hurt my own feelings writing it)
Please Stay with Me
Summary: You try to convince Crosshair to come back with you.
Warnings: gn!reader, ANGST GALORE, hurt no comfort, takes place at the very end of 01x16
Word Count: 696
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Tears sting in your eyes though they refuse to fall. In the distance, Tipoca City—what’s left of it—burns, black smoke churning in the otherwise clear sky. Ironic, you think, how beautiful the weather has chosen to be on such a tragic day. Heart weighing heavy in your tight chest, you swallow down a sob. You’ve only visited Kamino a handful of times as the nat-born medic assigned to Clone Force 99, but you feel its loss keenly. 
You can only imagine what the six clones around you feel, watching the only home they’ve ever known smolder. 
“It’s...” Omega trails off, her voice cracking. “...all gone.” 
You lay a hand on her shoulder and squeeze gently, letting her know you’re here. She covers your hand with one of her small ones. 
“We should leave before the Empire’s scouts show up,” Tech says. 
“You coming with us?” Wrecker asks. 
Turning, you catch the way that Crosshair very obviously does not look in your direction where you stand with Omega. Bile rises in your throat, despite the aching squeeze in your chest. 
“None of this,” Crosshair says, “changes anything.” 
Hunter hesitates, glancing at you for a moment. Then he sighs. “You offered a chance, Crosshair. This is yours.” 
“I made my decision.” 
Except it wasn’t a choice! you want to scream. It was the chip! It was the Empire! This isn’t you! 
But the words stick in your throat like glue, clogging your windpipe until you feel lightheaded. Omega gives you a concerned look. 
Whatever Hunter has said, it doesn’t seem to have changed Crosshair’s mind. One by one, the squad turns away to head back to the Marauder. Omega slips away from your grasp to run after her brothers, before hesitating. You squint your eyes shut, tears finally spilling over onto your cheeks, as you do your best to tune out their private conversation. But Omega’s words reach you regardless. She has a way of getting to the heart of a matter with uncanny precision. Her statement cuts you deep. 
“You’re still their brother, Crosshair,” she says in a plaintive voice. “You’re my brother, too.” 
Her footsteps retreat. For a moment, you know it’s just you and Crosshair on the platform, the others on the ship already. He remains silent, and so do you. Everything you’ve wanted to say to him since the Empire came into power, everything you want to scream and rant and fall apart over dies on the tip of your tongue when you open your eyes and find him staring at you. 
“Cross—” Your voice breaks, thick with tears. “Please.” 
“Like I said, I made my decision.” He turns away. 
Body suddenly unlocked from where you’ve been frozen, you stride to him and grab his plastoid-covered arm to spin him back to face you. He lets himself be pulled, his sharp eyes finding yours. But instead of the warm amber you recall, his eyes are dull and flat. Your heart breaks a little bit more. 
“Please,” you whisper. 
He murmurs your name, a flicker of pain sparking in his eyes. “You know I can’t.” 
You shake your head. Shoving down the sob that threatens to tear you apart from the inside, you cup his face in your hands. His stubble has grown out, and his hair has refused to grow back since the Bracca incident, but his skin is just as warm and familiar as you remember. Leaning into him, you press a desperate kiss to his lips. Stay, you want to say. Stay with me.
He remains still, stiff and unmoving under your touch. When you pull back, his eyes are screwed shut. His breath fans over your face in a shuddering exhale. But, as those lifeless eyes open once more, he merely removes your hands from his face—gently, though you give no resistance—and steps out of your grasp. 
A warm arm tightens around your middle, your back pressed to cold plastoid. Hunter’s voice is low and apologetic when he speaks. “C’mon, doc. We need to get movin’.” 
You allow yourself to be led back to the ship, your blurry gaze never leaving Crosshair’s form, silhouetted against the smoking remains of his home.
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lesbianoms · 3 months
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Hear this scenario: you’re minding your business in a quiet night, when suddenly you hear a knock on the door. As you open it, you’re greeted by a big lady, specifically her belly, which is clearly pregnant. She looks embarrassed and apologetic as she asks with all the sweetness possible if she could let her eat you since she has cravings. Before you can answer, you hear a very loud growl from her stomach as her cheeks reddened from embarrassment. What you think?
I think that YES, I’ll let her eat me!! 😍
I’m not always into pregnancy/pregnant preds, but there’s just something about this scenario that’s sooo enticing. Maybe it’s the way I open the door just to be face-to-face with a lady’s big, round tummy… or maybe it’s how sweetly she asks to swallow me down…
I especially love the part about her stomach growling and her blushing. I really like how flustered she is in this scenario <3 not something I think about a lot— flustered preds, that is— but wow, do I love it~
I think it scratches my brain just right in that “leading an older woman to discover that she’s into super taboo/kinky things” kind of way ;)
I’d let her in enthusiastically… I’d probably draw her a bath if I’m being honest, pamper her a bit before she has her main course 💕 before she gobbles me up, I’d comment on how beautiful she looks, running my fingertips across that swollen drum of her belly… I can just imagine her salivating while she watches me worship her body~
And then, the first swallow! Hungry, tentative, testing the waters yet burning with that desire to put me inside her gut, where we both know I belong… ❤️ my feet disappearing down her throat as she struggles a bit and gulps, the bulge that my legs make finally settling into her swollen stomach, which is even bigger than before, as she sighs and pants, drooling and hiccuping, patting her belly with a satisfied and ravaged expression~
I imagine she’s weighed down by me as I shift around inside my new home, curled up so cozy and snug… the wet sac of her stomach drenching my pjs. I moan and squeal at being her meal 🥵
She settles down into my bed, pinned down by her big belly, groaning at how stuffed she is. She can feel pressure building up inside her gut… as her stomach squeezes me… something bubbling up from the depths of her digestive system… and then-
BuuUuuUU-OUrrRRRP!
Needless to say, her cravings have been satisfied… and she falls asleep feeling sore in the best way, drifting off to the sounds of her round gut gurgling wet and deep, burbling loudly… sooo gassy as things churn around in there 🫧
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purplechaosguardian · 23 days
Text
Mom said it’s my turn on the writing
Alex stumbled through the door, mentally and physically drained. Another day working at the Foundation, another day of being kept in the dark, another day of feeling completely powerless. Nothing they could do about it now, a voice in their head reminded them. Nothing that could be solved by running themself even more ragged, anyways. Their stomach growled loudly. When was the last time they ate? That was what they were going to do next then. Get something to eat, find a dumb horror movie on tv, and shut off their brain for a while. That sounded nice.
They were far too tired to actually cook anything, settling for grabbing some bread and a jar of peanut butter out of the cupboard, then a jar of strawberry jelly from the fridge. Nothing particularly groundbreaking, but it was a classic for a reason. They were just about to settle down and relax when a large crash came from outside. “Goddammit.” The raccoons got into the trash again. They let out a sigh, rushing for the broom. They still clutched the sandwich. Not like this would take long. They were pretty skittish. Besides, the sooner he got outside, the less he had to clean up.
The air outside was crisp, a sure sign of autumn. They could see people already putting out decorations, strings of lights were draped across roofs and inflatable displays laid across yards, limp and lifeless. They felt their stomach churn.
Alex’s attention was drawn back to the trash cans. They were too far away from the streetlights to see what they were actually dealing with, but the faint outline of the toppled over cans and the sound of something digging through them was all the evidence they needed. It didn’t seem to have run off yet. Weird. Maybe it just didn’t hear them. They could fix that. They tapped the broom against the trash can. “Alright, get outta th-?” A figure rose from the piles of trash, staring down at them with yellow eyes and cat-like slits. Definitely not a raccoon.
The thing’s grin seemed to get bigger at the sight of them, and the next moment they were on the ground, wind knocked out of their lungs and the back of their head stinging. They must have dropped the broom when they fell. Not much good that would have done them, barely able to move under the thing’s weight and claws threatening to puncture something important.
Maybe it was panic, maybe it was an attempt to stay alive, but they flung the sandwich. It seemed to have caught the thing’s attention, because the next thing Alex knew, the weight on their chest was gone. They weren’t exactly sure why it would settle for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich when it was obviously looking at them like they were on the menu, but they sure as hell weren’t complaining. They quickly scrambled to their feet and ran back inside, making sure the door was locked. They looked out the kitchen window, and could see the thing staring back at them. In its claws was their sandwich, and a large bite had been taken out of it. It grinned again, and maybe, just maybe it looked more mischievous than malicious.
They let out a breath they hadn’t realized they were holding in, continuing to stare into the darkness.
“What the fuck.”
—-
“What the fuck.”
Of all things that could have happened next, it definitely wasn’t it coming back with a flimsy pad of paper with “sandwich please” messily scribbled in orange crayon.
“Where did you even get this?”
(A cashier watches as it approaches the counter, holding a pad of paper and a pack of crayons. It had been running around the store for a few minutes, seemingly looking for something. Not that the cashier intervened, this was a situation that was above her pay grade, and if she was being honest, was a nice distraction from the store’s playlist replaying for the fiftieth time. “Will that be cash or card?” Several pennies fall out of its hand, dropping onto the counter and rolling across the floor. The cashier signs.)
It shrugged.
Alex looked down at the pad of paper. They know they should be far more panicked, run back inside and call the police, but they couldn’t lie, the absurdity of a demon requesting a sandwich from them quickly snuffed out any horror they should be feeling. They looked back up at it. “What kind?”
“What’s your name?”
“Clyde”
“Mine’s Alex.”
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sunflowerharrington · 2 years
Text
You Don’t Deserve It
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🧸 steve x billy x eddie x reader
🧸 minor’s dni or i’ll fuck your mom
🧸 sir/daddy kink, choking, name-calling, swearing, bratty reader, brat-tamer billy, disrespect, mean!dom!billy hargrove, mean!dom!eddie munson, soft!dom!steve harrington, i think this counts as angst but i’m not 100% sure? [not proofread or edited]
🧸 there’s more warnings than words at this point, jfc
🧸 @eddiebillysteve @thisishellfire @gods-favorite-asthmatic @friendly-neighborhood-ghoul @wzrlds @taecube @quickiesgirl @eddies-bat ask or dm if you wanna be added or removed 💋
“so, what’s for dinner today, mrs y/l/n?” eddie asks, smirking when he hears a strained whimper leave your lips as you tried to get his firm grip off your thigh, his cold rings digging into and pinching at your skin.
“i’m sure whatever it is, it’ll be delicious,” billy adds, sliding into the chair on the other side of you, to your right.
your stomach churned as he placed his left hand on your right thigh, his hand brushing against eddie’s beneath the table. you began to fiddle with the hem of steve’s sweater he’d pulled over your head earlier before he fucked your brains out in your bedroom.
“you’re unusually quiet today, baby,” your mom muses, taking the pizza out of the oven.
“j- just tired,” you said, dramatically falling back into the chair, resting your head on billy’s shoulder.
“that’s ‘cause stevie ruined our pretty girl earlier, right billy?”
you whip your head around to stare at eddie, wide eyed, not been able to believe he just said that. to your mother too. “we were trying to do y/n’s hair and makeup for her, and stevie… stevie nicks, yeah, we had a fleetwood mac vinyl on! she made poor y/n cry.”
you rolled your eyes, turning away from him slightly. he grabbed your arm, pulling you towards him when your mom turned her back to the three of you. “big fucking mistake rolling your eyes at me, princess. i’d say start running now, because if you don’t…”
you didn’t even wait for him to finish his sentence before you jolted out of your seat and ran out the door, colliding into steve’s body. with no time to protest, you couldn’t move as he wrapped his arms around you.
“let me go, st— sir!” you correct yourself, knowing that if you addressed him incorrectly there would be serious consequences. “seriously. i- i gotta go.”
“what’s wrong, pretty girl?” he coos, tightening his grip on you so you can’t see the big smile on his face.
“i’ll explain later, just let me go!” you shout, pushing him away from you, tears running, eyes cool as you took off running… but you only got about ten steps away from your house.
“why didn’t you run?”
you wince as a hand clamps tight around your neck, the other snaking around your waist. “that is absolutely no way to act in front of your mother either. leaving when she’s about to bring you food. go apologize right now. what the fuck are you waiting for? go!”
“billy i didn’t do anything wrong—!”
he releases his grip from you before lifting you up and throwing you over his shoulder. “i’ll smack your ass if you scream, and trust me, i’m really fucking dissapointed with you right now” disappointed, not even angry. that was worse. way worse when it came to your punishments.
“i think…” he starts, running a hand down your leg as he walked, sending a harsh slap to your ass when you started kicking your legs to get him to let go. “stop it. now.”
“‘m sorry, daddy”
“sorry won’t do anything, babydoll. as i was saying; i don’t think you deserve to come for the rest of the week, but stevie, eds and i will still have our fun with you”
tears stain your cheeks as he puts you down at the open front door, and where you’re standing you see eddie beginning to stand up from the kitchen table, excusing himself.
“i think munson’s on the same page as me. just gotta get harrington on board now, but that’ll be easy, doll. you, eddie and i have all agreed—”
“i didn't—“
“what did i tell you about interrupting me, y/n!” he shouts, forcefully turning you around, sending the harshest slap you’ve felt on your ass in a long time, causing you to scream
“and for screaming when i told you not to; that’s no orgasms for a month, brat.”
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- sweet dreams, angels (and @myobmaya, yes you’re an angel but also… 🤪) 🤍💋
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romanitas · 2 months
Text
look at me go, it hasn't even been a month! we're back with (i think) the penultimate part of the spy au !! thanks to @perseannabeth who helped me figure out some plot points literally irl for the final stretch. there's always been a vague plan for the end, hopefully it lives up! also again available on ao3 if tumblr formatting screws up.
-
Annabeth hasn’t seen Percy for four and a half weeks. She’s been off the Jupiter Industries case for just as long, what with Luke Castellan’s involvement; they’re currently restructuring the plan forward. She’s not used to boredom, but she’s not sure she could consider it full boredom when her brain will not stop churning. She’s aware it’s usually a stomach churning, but no, in this case, her mind is on the go in a thousand different directions. She doesn’t feel nauseous or sick - just overwhelmed mentally, which as far as she’s concerned is one of the worst kinds. She’d rather be vomiting.
She’s back at her apartment - her real one. It’s nearly as empty as the fake one. She doesn’t keep a lot of things around, not wanting too many distractions on top of the fact that she feels like she spends very little time actually in it. The most personalization is an owl throw pillow with a matching blanket on the couch and a few architectural prints across her walls. It feels emptier than it ever has, and she cruelly imagines what it might be like if Percy came here. She really, really needs to stop thinking about him, but it feels impossible, because if she’s not thinking about him, she starts to think about Luke. And that’s worse.
She faceplants directly into the owl blanket with a groan and lays there, ignoring the wafting smell of her Korean BBQ takeout sitting on the countertop. This has been her life each day for the last week: different dishes but a very familiar static and face full of fluff, followed by dejectedly eating lukewarm food. And then she just gets mad at herself for being such a sad sack. She’s Annabeth fucking Chase. What the hell did Percy Jackson do to her?
Reyna checks in periodically. She sends minute updates, but not enough for Annabeth to start doing her own poking and prodding. Frank stops by a few times to make sure she’s eating, and she does welcome his company in an absent way. He brings some of the best takeout, but he knows all her favorites. He carries the conversation in directions that serve the best distractions.
“You should use this time to get out,” he says one day, dragging some naan through the rest of his curry. When Annabeth stares at him, he clarifies. “I mean, maybe think of it like a vacation? You never take a vacation. Do things you’ve always wanted to.”
She grumpily shoves her own naan into her mouth to avoid answering him. But maybe he has a point. Maybe she does need to leave the house more often, if only to refresh herself. To get back on her feet. It’s only a matter of time before they give her a new assignment, and she refuses to fall into distractions again next time.
She takes herself out. She ventures further than a ten block radius and tries a new Pho place she’s been wanting to check out. She looks up a current run of temporary exhibitions around the city, buys tickets for three of them. She makes a reservation for herself at one of the museum restaurants, uncaring that it’s definitely overpriced and she can get a burger down the block for half the cost. She is utterly determined to give herself a good, clean, solid break from her time with Percy, so she’s prepared for the next chapter. Whatever it brings.
Naturally, it’s at one of the exhibitions that she runs into Sally Jackson.
Annabeth isn’t sure she could have been caught more off guard by Luke. She turns the corner and nearly runs into the woman, but her instincts make her sidestep at the last second. She’s not fast enough to avoid eye contact, because Sally moves at the same time, an apology on her lips.
“I’m so sorry - Annabeth?”
Why is this her life? Annabeth freezes, and she can feel the guilt rain down on her like a tsunami. She’s very rarely caught off guard like this, but this warm, wonderful woman unnerves her in an unexpected way. She just assumed she would never see her again, another casualty of her break with Percy.
Despite it all, Sally offers her a small, tentative smile. “Hi,” she says, tone infused with that very same warmth Annabeth knows she doesn’t deserve.
She swallows. “Hi,” she replies, weakly.
Sally reaches out to give her arm a gentle squeeze, and Annabeth nearly combusts on the spot. But the older woman can sense her discomfort, because she pulls her hand away just as quickly and sighs. “Will you get a coffee with me?”
Every single part of her is telling her to say no; every rational, logical piece of her being knows this is a bad idea, but there’s a quiet desperation that wins out against her better judgment, and Annabeth nods mutely. Sally smiles again, then walks them both towards the museum cafe. She orders Annabeth’s coffee exactly the way she likes it and orders herself a chai latte. By the time they sit down at the table, Annabeth’s nerves are shot, so she just wraps her hands around the cup and takes a sip, burning her tongue immediately. She winces, and Sally offers her a napkin.
“Percy told me you broke up.”
Annabeth almost laughs, hollowly. There’s no way he would have told her anything - Percy might have been royally pissed at her, but he’s also not cruel, and she knows he wouldn’t jeopardize her by spilling all the beans to his mother. He also wouldn’t want to put his mom in danger. Instead, her shoulders sink, and all she can do is nod once.
“He didn’t really tell me why,” Sally continues, wringing her hands around her own cup. She gets a thoughtful wrinkle in her forehead that looks so much like her son Annabeth almost flinches. “He said it wasn’t his place to share your history, but he did tell me you lied about a lot.”
She doesn’t know if hearing that from Sally is worse than her whole exchange with Percy a month ago. She doesn’t say anything, but her lack of answer is its own confirmation.
“My son is everything to me,” she says, and Annabeth prepares to be reamed out. Why wouldn’t she be? She just broke this woman’s son’s heart, and they’re two of the kindest, best people she’s ever met. “And I have never seen him so miserable.”
It’s not yelling, but it might be worse for real this time. Which is why the next thing Sally says is the most surprising part of all.
“I think he misses you.”
Annabeth’s head whips up so fast, and she says the first thing since her awkward greeting, which isn’t much more articulate. “What?”
It’s Sally’s turn to be quiet, again looking thoughtful as she finally takes a sip of her own drink. “I’m only telling you this because I know he was happy with you. Happier than I’ve seen him in a long time. And I know what he’s like now. I’m not going to ask you what happened. I know you hurt him, deeply, and I know maybe it’s not my place to sit here with you and tell you all of this. I know maybe things have been damaged too greatly. I know it’s his life, not mine. But what I want to ask you anyway is if you want to fix it, and if you still love my son.”
Annabeth’s eyes well up. She can’t answer this one with a nod. It’s everything she’s been trying to push away, the impossibilities of Percy chasing her down more harshly than Luke in the alleyway. “I love him,” she admits, and saying it aloud to someone else nearly knocks the wind out of her. “But I don’t know if I can fix it. I really, really hurt him, and there are parts of it that feel too broken.”
She shouldn’t be sharing this with Percy Jackson’s mother, but there isn’t another person who’s spoken to her about Percy specifically like this. A person who prioritizes Percy the way he should be, no matter what her own stupid heart and head are doing. Frank worries about her, but she’s the one who needs to grovel, and Sally will always, always put her son first.
Sally takes another sip, watching her carefully over the brim. She’s never felt more scrutinized in her life, and she’s a goddamn spy. Annabeth’s been alone for a very long time, and those months with Percy and his friends and his family were the closest she felt like a real, normal person in a long time. But she isn’t normal. She can’t just slip into a real architect’s life and become a new Annabeth Chase.
“Are you willing to try?”
She’s taken aback by the question and the way it connects to her thoughts, and she’s sure the surprise is on her face. “I don’t think he wants me to. It should be his choice, not mine.”
Sally hums. “Will you give me your address?”
“He’s not going to come to my house.”
“It’s for me. Not him. I won’t give it to him.”
She hesitates. She’s unlisted for a reason, her residence deeply under wraps. She still gets mail, of course, and it’s not like she lives there most of the year. But then she stubbornly takes the receipt from the drinks, scribbles the P.O. box on the back before she can second guess herself, and slides it back over. “Can you memorize it and burn it?” she says teasingly, trying not to feel ashamed of joking about it.
Sally slides it into her pocket. “I’m giving you a chance now, because I love my son and I want his happiness more than anything else, but I can see you're in just as terrible a state as he is. I wanted to see for myself, after I realized it was you.” She lifts her drink again, and Annabeth’s not sure if the pause for dramatic effect is intentional or not. “This is not forgiveness. It’s not my place to give it. This is me having a conversation with you, because you’re a very smart, put together woman who has spent a significant amount of time with Percy.”
Annabeth doesn’t feel very put together at the moment, but she’s hardly going to interject.
“And above everything, Percy is my son.”
It’s not a threat, but it almost feels like one. In lieu of another response, Annabeth takes a cowardly sip of her coffee.
“Thank you, for having coffee with me,” Sally says, and it sounds like a goodbye. Like this might be the last thing they ever say to each other. They sit in silence for a few more minutes, finishing their drinks, and it’s Sally who leaves first. She climbs to her feet in a cool movement and adjusts her bag before giving Annabeth a nod, then walks away from the table.
Annabeth sits there for another thirty minutes, though what she spends it thinking about, she doesn’t really remember.
-
Three days later Annabeth receives a package in the mail, with Sally’s return address. She holds the box in her hands and doesn’t really know how to process it. She sets it on the kitchen island and stares at it, afraid of opening it for stupid reasons. Watching it out of the corner of her eye, she heats up a box of frozen mac and cheese, then reaches for a steak knife to slice open the packing tape as the microwave beeps.
Inside she finds a dozen chocolate chip cookies, wrapped up neatly in a transparent blue bag. Underneath them is an envelope, which she nervously lifts and carefully opens. There’s a note inside, and what looks like two tickets to - to an aquarium. Not just any aquarium, the one where she met Percy - or rather, where she orchestrated her meeting of Percy. Puzzled and sad all at once, she reads the note in Sally’s loopy writing.
Annabeth,
I bought these for you both a month ago. I’m giving them to you alone now as a final gift from me to you, and I hope you use them. Use the time to think about everything. Don’t try to return them.
Perhaps one day we’ll see each other again. Take care.
Sally
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dracowars · 1 year
Note
Hi you can write a draco: late at night he's in the main hall studying for an exam and he can't concentrate because he's already tired so a paper bird flies towards him where it says something like "rest your mind a while" bit" and then he looks up and sees that the paper came from an unknown Ravenclaw who also studied there. So they do something like, have fun in the hallways, something like running away from Filtch and his cat. Draco doesn't know her but she has always watched him from afar.
can't you see me | draco malfoy
pairing: draco x ravenclaw!reader
word count: 1,5k
summary: where y/n gets draco's mind off an upcoming exam
a/n: this was such a cute idea, hopefully i could do it justice. feedback & reblogs are always appreciated!
warnings: none
universe: harry potter
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To say that Draco’s brain is spinning is an understatement. His head is throbbing, his eyes are dry, and his lips are a little chapped. He is balancing on the verge of shutting his eyes, just for a few seconds, but he keeps shaking his head in an attempt to stop himself, pushing his hands in his eye sockets to keep them from falling shut. Studying for this test for Professor Snape’s class really pushes him to the limit. He doesn’t even remember how long he has been sitting in the Great Hall, he is so engrossed in his work he doesn’t perceive anything happening around him. Lately, Draco comes here every night when he can’t fall asleep because he is plagued by those terrible nightmares once again. He feels safe here, surrounded by warm light that defies the darkness outside, and even though he is alone, it somehow makes him feel good.
However, he is not as alone as he initially thought or as is so often the case. Because just as he is about to pick up his quill again, which he had previously put aside to give his hand a break for at least a few minutes, something enters his field of vision. Out of nowhere, a white paper crane lands in front of him, carefully folded from parchment paper. Motionless, Draco stares at it for a few seconds before slowly raising his gaze and making eye contact with the most beautiful eyes he has ever locked eyes with.
You sit at the Ravenclaw table, studying, just as alone as Draco, but when your eyes meet you immediately lower your head and the letters on your paper suddenly seem so much more interesting. You know there is no point in pretending you weren’t the sender of the message when you are clearly the only two people in the Great Hall right now. In fact, you are probably the only two people in this castle who are still awake at this hour.
Draco, whose breath got stuck in his throat unnoticedly as he looked at you and saw your reaction, turns his attention to the paper crane still perched on his notes. Carefully, he unfolds it and his gaze wanders over the beautifully written words.
‘You should take a rest – Y/N’
An unfamiliar feeling washes over Draco, and heat rises in his cheeks as he scans the words over and over again, his gaze catching on the small peculiarities of your handwriting. Suddenly, despite your presence which he hasn’t noticed until now, he feels even safer and more comfortable in this place. Even though those are just written words, he feels seen, he feels cared for. From a person he doesn’t even know and who he has never noticed before, at least not that he knows of.
“Hi, uhm. Did you send me that message?”, Draco asks, wanting to bury himself in the ground and never come out into the open again after uttering those stupid words. ‘Of course the message is from her, you idiot’, he inwardly chides himself.
Although you are seated at a different table, the distance between you isn’t so great that you couldn’t have heard him, and for a moment Draco thinks that maybe you didn’t, perhaps you were too engrossed in your own tasks. But when he tries to start again, you interrupt him with a shy smile that makes Draco’s stomach churn.
“Y-Yes. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb. You.. just looked a bit exhausted”, you smile sheepishly, fidgeting with the quill in your hands, always avoiding Draco’s gaze.
“No, no, no. You didn’t disturb me. I just didn’t see you there is all..”, Draco laughs nervously and then falls silent again. “B-But thanks. For being worried about me. I mean- Maybe you aren’t even worried and just-”
“May I show you something?”, you ask after you have gathered all your courage, stopping his rambling in an instant. You have already sent him that message, so why not take it one step further? You want to take if further, mainly because he is so completely different than expected. Of course you already knew he is different alone than when he is hanging out with his Slytherin friends. You have watched him from afar long enough to be able to tell. But while you always see him, he has never seen you before.
“Yeah, sure. What is it?”, Draco asks curiously, snapping you out of your thoughts. Usually, it is not like you to lose yourself in them. Actually, you always know what is happening around you, always having a plan in mind, but Draco just seems to shatter these laws that you set up for yourself with ease.
Taking a deep breath, you stand up from your seat, stow all your books in your bag and look over at Draco, who didn’t expect that what you want to show him requires him to actually get up, but he does it anyway, following your every move without a word. At the entrance of the Great Hall, you stand directly opposite each other for the first time, each looking at the other directly.
“Hi.”
“Hi.”
“I’m Draco, but, uh, you probably already know that”, Draco introduces himself, an uncertain smile on his lips as he scratches his neck in embarrassment.
“I’m Y/N”, you reply, beginning to walk in one direction, with Draco following you suit. You didn’t expect that this banal introduction, this simple getting to know each other, would immediately lead to deeper discussions, but you suddenly find yourself hanging on his every word as he talks about his last lesson in Potions class or how much some of his friends – if you can even call them that – annoy him. From this moment on, it feels like you have known each other for ages.
“What, precisely, do you want to show me again?”
“See for yourself”, you smile at him, leading the way up a winding staircase before opening a heavy door at the top, revealing complete darkness that stretches beyond. Together, you step out onto the astronomy tower and into the cool night air. Draco, who suddenly fell completely silent, is now standing close to you, your hands only a few inches from touching.
“This is absolutely breathtaking. Wow!”, Draco marvels and you smile to yourself, proud to show him a place in this huge castle where he has apparently never been to before. It is your personal favorite place when you are feeling down, your safe space when you need to gather new strength. You always regain your focus up here, and you hope that Draco feels the same effect at right this moment.
You can’t enjoy this pleasant togetherness and sudden proximity for long, however, when suddenly you hear noises in the distance, faintly sounding like footsteps, which can only mean one thing: Filch. Draco, without much thought, takes your hand in his and drags you down the stairs behind him, going for a record-breaking sprint. Filch, running around the corner with his trusty cat, can’t see you anymore but he is still able to hear your footsteps and, especially, your laughter. You want to stop laughing, but right now you couldn’t care less about what would potentially happen if he caught the both of you. As long as it happens with Draco by your side, you will be fine.
Quickly, you wind your way through the corridors of the old castle, past the sleeping paintings and hundred of staircases, your final destination being the Ravenclaw common room. Along the way, your heart painfully pounds in your chest a few times because you do not want this night to end yet. You wish you could spend the whole night, or, at least, what is still left of it, with him.
“Here we are”, Draco smiles breathlessly as you arrive at the door without a doorknob or keyhole, but a bronze knocker in the shape of an eagle. “Get in quick, don’t let the old man catch you.”
Another laugh escapes your mouth at these words, something you realize you do quite often around him. And Draco loves every single time he can hear this beautiful sound erupting from you. Smiling, you nod and reach for the knocker, but hesitate and turn to Draco, who seems to be waiting for something.
“This was.. great fun.”
“I had a lot of fun today”, you say at exactly the same time, your words overlapping each other, making you both giggle, before Draco speaks up again, this time without you interrupting.
“Thank you, Y/N. That was.. unbelievable”, he thanks you sincerely and you can see that he is more than serious about this. The way he is looking at you in that moment like there is only you in this world causes butterflies to flutter in your stomach.
“Can we.. meet again?”
His question catches you off guard for a second, but you couldn’t be happier about it. Suddenly the courage that got you into this situation in the first place returns, grabbing its hold on you. Gently, you place a kiss on his cheek, stepping back with a smile and looking at his flushed face before actually hitting the knocker this time.
“Same time tomorrow. I will wait.”
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aiwokure · 6 months
Text
Day 2 - Frozen Lake
Nico Robin x F!Reader
Desc: Young!Robin convinces Young![y/n] to try ice skating for the first time. It goes about as well as you’d expect.
WC: 1.1k
CW: Robin and Reader are around 18-19 years old, slightly toxic relationship, death mentions, slightly suggestive ending
continuation of this: [click here]
other december writing challenge fics [click here]
banner by @/cafekitsune
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Snow sprinkled down on the island and chattering voices could be heard from every crevice. Robin, currently wearing sunglasses and an aviator hat, is awestruck by the winter wonderland. [y/n] could sense her partner’s growing excitement, mainly due to the fact that she’s become nonreactive. “Hello? Doctor? We have an unresponsive patient here under the name of Nico Robin. Permission to restrict smooches?”
The dark haired woman shoots [y/n] a slightly annoyed look, unlacing their fingers so that she can cross her arms. “Oh, like it’s such a crime to take in the scenery. I was just making sure it’s safe, that’s all.” She lies with ease, lips pursed in faux disapproval. “Uh huh, sure. Let’s go find someplace to stay, then we can look around and do whateverrr you want.” [y/n] is quick to socialize with the locals, she’s always been the better one between her and Robin.
In their spare time together, the mercenary forces Robin to take “classes” on bargaining. Unfortunately, [y/n] isn’t a good teacher, her temper gets the best of her when Robin continues to make mistakes. However when she finally gets it right, the reward makes the archaeologist feel nice and warm inside. “Stay here, I’ll see what I can get us.” [y/n] enters the inn, after giving her instruction, leaving Robin to take in her environment.
Kids running around with cold noses playing in the snow, adults sitting in sheltered areas sharing warm drinks (possibly alcohol by how rambunctious they’re getting), and oh, young lovers skating together on a frozen lake, all smiles and giggles. Envy threatened to bubble up in her heart, [y/n] is not exactly a lover of winter activities, she would never agree to something like ice skating.
Click!
A light bulb goes off as bright as a summer’s sun in Robin’s brain, and about five minutes later, [y/n] exits with a satisfied smile. “We’re sharing a suite. It comes with a kitchen, so we can prepare some meals for when we’re back at sea.” Robin was less interested in the room and more interested at the thought of going ice skating. She hasn’t been in such a long time, it would bring her so much inner joy to experience it once more, even if it’s only for a few seconds.
“[y/n], let’s go ice skating.” The [h/c] woman gives her a confused glance. “Can’t you just go by yourself? I’ll have the suite set up and dinner made when you come back.” Robin huffs, grabbing some of the luggage before spinning around to return the look with an unwavering stare. “How about I help you set up, we go ice skating, then make dinner together?” [y/n] can feel the confusion quickly churn into annoyance at her partner’s insistence.
“What the hell are you going on about? You know I don’t do stuff like that.”
“You said we can do, quote ‘whateverrr you want’, I want to go ice skating with you. Just for a few minutes! It’s rare that we get the chance to be normal like this, don’t you want to cherish it? After this I won’t ask for anything else, I promise.” Robin begins to plead, her grip tightening on the luggage the more passionate that she got.
[y/n] hesitates, it’s even more rare for the archaeologist to get so worked up about something so menial. She heaves a big sigh, willing her annoyance to go away. She is, after all, a woman of her word.
“Fine, only a few minutes. Now let’s get this inside.” Seeing Robin’s face glow with joy made [y/n] feel guilty about being rough with her, but it also made her crave seeing it more often.
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“You can hold onto me, I’ll make sure that you don’t fall. You have to activate your core! Don’t put too much pressure on your ankles or they’ll be achy later.” Robin spouts instructions and advice with rapid fire, hovering near [y/n] as she wobbles warily on the icy floor. “Please stop talking,” the mercenary grunts, gripping the rails with startling strength. Don’t laugh, don’t laugh, don’t- the raven haired woman repeats like a mantra in her head.
The confident and skillful [y/n] is shaking like a newborn fawn on nature’s ice rink. It’s certainly something the locals got a chuckle out of. A little boy skates by smoothly, spinning around to look at the duo. “Big sis, did you know that last year someone fell and they broke the ice, so everyone had to leave the lake, but some people didn’t move fast enough, and they fell in, so my daddy jumped in to re-resc-rescue them, and he almost died.”
He sighs sympathetically at the end of his story, lips down turned at the memory. “Oh yeah?” [y/n] grits out, more focused on regaining balance than some random brat. “Yeah…” the boy confirms, shoulders drooping before he perks back up. “So don’t fall okay? I still have to ask Jayce to be my friend!” Robin couldn’t help the laughter that built up in the back of her throat.
“Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of her so that you can befriend Jayce.” She chuckles while consoling the young boy, her arm was wrapped snugly around [y/n]’s waist. “Oversharing is a child’s specialty, no?” Robin looks over at her partner, an amused yet adoring grin on her lips. “Whatever, let’s just get off this ice so his dear daddy doesn’t die for real.” The mercenary’s teeth were faintly chattering, ears and nose stinging from the cold.
“Thank you for doing this with me. I appreciate it a lot.” Robin swoops in to place a warm kiss on [y/n]’s forehead, but in that moment, someone crashed into her. A yelp escapes her lips, as does her balance as she leans heavily into the [h/c] haired woman, who didn’t have any to begin with. They land roughly on the ice in a jumbled pile, Robin’s face flush against [y/n]’s chest. “Fuckin’ hell!”
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Robin gently rubs the back of [y/n]’s head, the ice pack resting on the counter. “M’sorry… I was feeling nostalgic when I saw the rink and I wanted to experience that joy again with the person I like.” The raven haired woman confesses, tucking herself under her partner’s chin. She could feel the vibration of [y/n] humming in acknowledgment. They laid tangled up amongst each other on the couch, Robin currently being the little spoon.
“It’s okay, it was kinda fun I guess.” [y/n] responds before repositioning herself to hover above the archaeologist. “I liked seeing you in your element. Sorry for being a bit of a hardass earlier today.” She places a loving kiss on the tip of Robin’s nose, then another on her lips, her hand starting to creep up Robin’s sweater. “Let me make it up to you?” [y/n] asks seductively, shifting down so that she was between the dark haired woman’s legs.
Her hand gently caressed Robin’s lower tummy, triggering a swarm of butterflies as well as a feeling of longing. The archaeologist flushed a beautiful red, sucking her bottom lip in between her teeth. “Okay.”
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